Nigerian govt moves to grant polytechnics power to award degrees , ,

The Federal Government has instructed all polytechnics in Nigeria to award a bachelor’s degrees to Higher National Diploma (HND) holders.

The announcement was made on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during a retreat for council chairmen, rectors and key education stakeholders.

The minister stated that the policy marks a major reform aimed at repositioning polytechnics as equal partners with universities in national development.

According to Dr. Alausa, the move is designed to eliminate professional bias against technical graduates and transform polytechnics into centres of excellence capable of driving Nigeria’s industrial and economic growth.

According to him, the reform goes beyond certificate changes and focuses on strengthening technical education to produce problem-solvers and innovators.

He explained that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is expected to improve funding, deepen industry collaboration and restore public confidence in technical and vocational education.

The minister assured that strict quality assurance measures would be enforced to ensure that degrees awarded by polytechnics meet global standards.

He also warned administrators that transparency, accountability and zero tolerance for corruption would be strictly upheld.

To support the transition, Alausa announced a special TETFund intervention to upgrade engineering programmes in polytechnics with modern equipment, while urging institutional leaders to embrace innovation in areas such as renewable energy and digital manufacturing.

Nigerian govt moves to grant polytechnics power to award degrees 

, Education – Daily Post Nigeria, January 21, 2026, 5:45 pm