By Raymond Ebireri

The federal government has directed that all workers with a Higher National Diploma (HND) must undergo a one-year compulsory training before promotion from executive cadre to officer cadre in the civil service.

This was announced by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, during a virtual interactive session with civil servants during Civil Service Week 2024. The theme of this year’s Civil Service Week is “Educate an Africa Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Life-Long Learning, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa.” The essence of the one-year compulsory training is to bridge the educational gap between polytechnic-awarded HNDs and university degrees.

This development has stirred a debate between the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). Although a bill was passed by the Ninth National Assembly in 2021 to eradicate the gap between polytechnic-awarded HNDs and university degrees, it was not assented to by former President Muhammadu Buhari. As a follow-up, the NBTE introduced a one-year top-up program to facilitate HND holders in obtaining a university bachelor’s degree.

While addressing civil servants in a virtual interactive session, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan reiterated that the curriculum of HND and BSc degrees is different, thus the need for HND holders to undergo a one-year mandatory training before seeking promotion from executive to officer cadre. This was in response to a question asked by Grade Level 14 civil servant Adebayo Hassan, who inquired about the government’s efforts in addressing the disparity between BSc and HND holders in the civil service.

Dr Yemi-Esan stressed the importance of accessible, inclusive, and high-quality education that remains relevant to the fast-changing needs of today’s contemporary world while discussing the theme of this year’s Civil Service Week 2024.

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