NBTE Insists on Degree Conversion Scheme
The National Board for Technical Education said it had not doubled down on its “top-up degree” scheme for HND holders in the country.
The board’s insistence came amidst its clash with the National Universities Commission(NUC).
According to news reports the row between the NBTE and the NUC over the proposed top-up degree scheme for HND holders deepened when the NBTE fired back at the NUC, noting that the top-up degree scheme was entirely “beyond the jurisdiction of the NUC.”
The NBTE in a statement by its spokesperson, Fatima Abubakar, said that the university regulatory agency had no jurisdiction over the programme.
However, the NUC’s acting Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, in the statement, had noted that the NBTE was acting beyond its mandate.
Recall that the NBTE through its head, Prof. Idris Bugaje, announced a partnership with foreign universities where HND graduates could convert their diplomas to degrees through a one-year conversion course, following the dichotomy which has continued to exist between graduates of universities and polytechnics.
Sources within the Ministry of Education told our correspondent that the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, was set to intervene in the matter.
When asked if the NBTE was going to double down on the scheme, the board’s spokesperson, Fatima Abubakar said, “No, that is not true, please.”
Source: The Punch
