House of Reps Advances Bill to Allow Polytechnics to Award Bachelor’s Degrees
To reform Nigeria’s higher education system, the House of Representatives has passed the second reading of a bill that would empower polytechnics to award bachelor’s degrees.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker of the House Tajudeen Abbas and Faud Laguda, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Lagos, seeks to amend the Federal Polytechnics Act of 2004. If passed into law, it would mark a transformative shift in the status of polytechnic education in the country.
One of the key provisions of the bill is an amendment to Section 3 of the Principal Act, which would mandate the inclusion of representatives from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in the governing councils of polytechnics. This move aims to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry, ensuring that technical education aligns with national economic needs.
Additionally, Clause 3 of the bill proposes raising the qualification requirement for federal polytechnic rectors to a PhD, a step intended to elevate academic leadership standards.
The most groundbreaking provision, however, comes in Clause 4, which seeks to amend Section 15 of the Act. This change would grant academic boards in polytechnics the authority to award Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degrees to graduating students—a shift that could bridge the long-standing gap between universities and polytechnics in Nigeria.
During the debate on the bill, Laguda emphasized the need for Nigerian polytechnics to evolve in response to global educational trends and best practices. He urged his colleagues to support the legislation, stating that it would enhance the country’s technical education system and better equip students for the demands of a rapidly changing world.
The bill received overwhelming support from lawmakers, with a resounding voice vote in its favor. As it moves closer to becoming law, the proposed amendments could redefine the landscape of technical education in Nigeria, providing polytechnic graduates with expanded academic and professional opportunities.
