– Our slogan at NBTE is “Skills rather than degrees” because acquiring skills is the in thing. No nation can develop without promoting skills acquisition.
– I support parity because skills and vocations are the in-thing now all over the world.
(Rector, Ayede Polytechnic Dr. AbdulHameed (in the middle) discussing with other officials at a public event).
By Biola Lawal
Ayede (Oyo State): FLOWERBUDNEWS: The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed has commended the National Assembly for its move to remove the disparity between HND and Bachelor’s Degree holders in the country.
Speaking in an interview with journalists who recently visited the tertiary institution, Dr. AbdulHameed said that the need to remove the disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor’s Degree in the country was long overdue.
(Dr. AbdulHameed pose with one of the Ayede Polytechnic students)
”So, I want to appreciate the National Assembly for giving us the opportunity and I want to believe that the bill will eventually be passed,” the Rector told the journalists.
Dr. AbdulHameed expressed optimism that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would assent the bill into law once passed by the National Assembly, saying, ‘:In fact, we thought that before the expiry of the life of the last administration, it would have been signed.
The bill would ensure that ”once you are a HND holder and a BSc holder, the parity should be there. It is high time we forget about paper qualifications, let’s focus on what we can contribute to the society, the positive impacts we can make on the society,” the Rector stated.
Dr. AbdulHamerd said: ”I support parity because skills and vocations are the in-thing now all over the world.
”In advanced countries, skills and vocations are encouraged. If you are talking about China today, it is because they give a premium to entrepreneurship development through skill acquisition and vocational development.
”I attended over three universities to get my degrees, and I have been in the polytechnic sector for over 30 years so I can make comparisons. If you look at it, it is because we lay so much emphasis on paper qualifications that is why we are not progressing the way we should as a country,” the Rector stressed.
Dr. AbdulHameed stressed the need for more government support for skill acquisition, saying,’ ” if the government can encourage skills and vocations, we will move faster.
”Our slogan at NBTE is “Skills rather than degrees” because acquiring skills is the in thing. No nation can develop without promoting skills acquisition, he stressed, adding:
”In the advanced climes, what you see is that when you graduate from polytechnics, you get B.Tech not HND. Even the British that we copied have phased out this HND of a thing. What you see in Britain now is B.Tech, BSc and what have you.
”So, why is Nigeria the exception? Because of paper qualifications, we want to pride ourselves as being higher than the others… because I am a degree holder, I am better than the HND holder whereas it is not so.
”It depends on what you are able to contribute to the larger society. It is not just about paper qualification or theories alone.
On the expected Parity of HND and Bachelor’s Degree, the Rector said; ”When parity is finally achieved and the polytechnics now focus on what they are established to do, it will impact positively on the society.
”Back in the days, I knew that if you were an undergraduate of The Polytechnic Ibadan or Yaba College of Technology, when it came to practicals or hands-on skills, they were far better than university undergraduates,” Dr. AbdulHameed stated.
”But when discrimination became pronounced, the students just went to earn the certificates and just move on to other things; whereas the purposes for establishing the polytechnics were there. Conventional universities are more for theoretical things while the polytechnics are to train manpower that would move the economy of the country forward,” he said, adding;
”The polytechnics now train higher level manpower too, who impact the society positively.”
Flowerbudnews recall that the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo State is one of the six established by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.
Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed is its pioneer Rector (FLOWERBUDNEWS)
