The Recent Protest by the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) Against the existing HND/Bachelor's degree Dichotomy in Nigeria: An Effort in Futility.
By Ogiri John Ogiri
I have read, with a feeling of disappointment in my government's educational policy makers,on the Nation's Newspaper of Sunday January 12,2020 (online edition) about a recent protest by the National Association of Polytechnic Students against the continued existence and practice of the retrogressive dichotomy between HND and Bachelor's degree holders in Nigeria. Indeed,from all intents and purposes, the students' body did what is expected of their responsibility as it relates to the protection of the interests of all polytechnics and monotechnic students in Nigeria. This practice is not only embarrassing and backward, it is equally a threat to the progressive future of the polytechnic education in Nigeria, particularly at a time when the world is being driven, no longer by grammar or sheer power of rhetorics but by science and technology. However, we must accept and face the reality- a ruthless, unfriendly reality.
I am very sorry but I have to be honest. A diploma remains a diploma whether it is a Postgraduate Diploma, a Higher National Diploma, a National Diploma or an Ordinary National Diploma. It is not,and will never be, a university degree. Your government,my government, our government, never planned it to be so. Your nation deceived you into believing the scam that, with a HND certificate from a polytechnic or a monotechnic, you are equal in "certificate" with your contemporaries from the university. Unfortunately, you soon realize after graduation that you are never treated with the same recognition and opportunity accorded your university counterparts despite your enviable intellectual prowess to deliver or your scholarly superiority in your chosen field of Knowledge. Yes your nation failed you. I am sorry but as a Diploma holder,you are only meant to be a middle level manpower in the Nigerian Federal Civil Service unless you upgrade your HND certificate. Your Diploma certificate can only give you a high level manpower position in your owned-business enterprise. I am sorry I understand it hurts but I cannot afford not to be lavish with the truth.
Again,it may interest you to know that a bachelor's degree holder can lecture in the polytechnic and in the monotechnic but as a HND holder,you are forbidden from lecturing in the university system. You are considered half-baked and so unsuitable for a career as a graduate assistant in the university. One of their arguments: you were never mentored by a professor or a Doctorate degree holder in your chosen field of study in the polytechnic.
In addition, the unnecessary, slavish ranks of the Senior Inspector (SIP) cadre in many of our para-military organizations is reserved for HND holders while the Superintendent Cadre is reserved for bachelor's degree holders. Any wonder why you may both be on grade level eight (8) receiving the same salary but cannot head the bachelor's degree holder? Only the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Armed Forces as well as a negligible fewer numbers of para-military organizations have demonstrated true commitments to the total eradication of any form of dichotomy between B.Sc/B.A/B.Ed and HND holders.
Finally, do you notice that the bulk of unemployed graduates we have in Nigeria come from among those with HND certificates? This may shock you but it is real. The number of bachelor's degree holders that are unemployed in Nigeria is nothing compared to the number of HND graduates that are unemployed. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) may not have come up with an empirical statistics on it yet,or if they have,they are yet to make available these data but you can check your areas. Carry out a survey by yourself.
So my brothers and sisters from Diploma-awarding institutions in Nigeria, there is no need to protest. Your protest is only a post-mortem of the damage already done. Just quietly go to a university and have your Diploma certificate(s) converted to a bachelor's degree. I am one of you too. I graduated with distinctions (both at ND and HND levels) from the Kaduna Polytechnic. Yet I had to seek another admission in a university to have a bachelor's degree (though still in progress) despite having a postgraduate certificate in Education.
I used to feel bad about everything but I had to free myself from this shameful discrimination by doing something about it instead of taking to despondence.
The sad thing is that, there is nothing the government is ready to do about it other than ensuring that all HND programmes are scrapped and that all polytechnic and monotechnic institutions of learning become affiliated institutions to universities in Nigeria. Therefore, whatever protest you hold now is only an effort in futility my dear comrades. Unfortunately,this is the sad reality that will continue to ruthlessly torment us.
Aluta Continua! Victoria Ascerta!
©Ogiri John Ogiri.
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