The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), says the online top-up programme from HND to BSc Degree is not for every Higher National Diploma holders but rather for those who have the ambition to further their career.
Recall that NBTE had on August 14, revealed how HND holders can convert their certificate to BSc through one-year online programme, with foreign accredited universities.
However, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, the NBTE Head of Media Unit, in a statement on Tuesday clarified that the top-up programme is not for every HND holders but those who want pursue an academic career such as teaching and research in the Polytechnics or Universities.
He said: ”This top-up is an alternative to the Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) offered by Nigerian Universities.
”In a democracy such as ours, HND holders should be allowed to make a choice between PGD and the top-up to BSc.”
He said that the clarification followed misunderstandings about the programme in some media.
He stated that the top-up is not bringing an end to HND programmes in Polytechnics but rather provides choice to HND holders wanting to go for an academic career.
”The choice of starting it with foreign universities is to show its universal acceptability perchance the Nigerian universities may eventually buy into it in due course.
”The cost is reasonable, just about 10 per cent of what regular face-to-face students pay.
”NBTE has come up with the programme to enable interested Polytechnic HND holders to be at par with their counterparts with Bachelor’s degree holders.
”And make it easy for them to go for their Master’s and Doctorate degrees for those interested in pursuing their career in academics,” Abubakar said.