The house of representatives has passed a bill abolishing the existing dichotomy between higher national diploma (HND) and bachelor’s of science (BSc) degree holders in the country.
The “bill for an act to abolish and prohibit dichotomy and discrimination between first degrees and HND in the same profession” was passed during Tuesday’s plenary.
The legislation, which was sponsored by Ali Isa and Edward Pwajok from Gombe and Plateau states respectively, had been passed for second reading since April 2017.
It seeks to end perceived discrimination against polytechnic graduates and remove the challenges faced by HND holders, especially those in the public service.
Pwajok had said the “discrimination” against the polytechnic graduates “had no moral justification” and that it would make the international community look down on the status of educational institutions in the country.
The lawmaker had said there is “a lot of segregation” at employment level as “those with first degree are placed on grade level 8, while those with HND are placed on grade level 6 or 7.”
He had also said the discrimination reflects in salaries as some organisations pay degree holders N100,000 at entry level, while their counterparts with HND get N70,000.
Only recently, the federal government abolished the dichotomy between the two class of degree holders in the services under the ministry of interior.
The agencies are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) and Federal Fire Service (FFS).
