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HND Conversion: We Have Over 30,000 Applicants In Top-up Programme – NBTE
The National Board for Technical Education has revealed that over 30,000 Nigerian Higher National Diploma holders have applied for its top-up programme.
The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje, disclosed this while speaking on issues around its newly launched top-up programme for HND holders to acquire a Bachelor of Science in their choice course.
He said the board had no power to award degrees to students but able to help HND holders by facilitating the programmes with foreign universities while introducing credit mapping to aid learning.
“We have a software that does credit mapping, we have already fed our HND graduates with that software so it will now pick the curriculum of the foreign university compare them together to bring out what is the difference between the two.
“We are now in discussion with a number of these foreign universities from Malaysia, Russia, India but with time we hope we can populate about 15-20 universities. Though it’s a gradual process and this will offer more opportunities for students.
“So far we have gotten applicants for over 30,000. About two weeks ago, it was 15,000 and within this two weeks, it has doubled and I am very confident that in the next two weeks we may hit about 50,000 applicants.
“These are Nigerian HND holders yearning to have this dichotomy brought to an end by acquiring BSc and unfortunately there are PhD holders who has HND who are also coming back to do BSc.
“This is like a contradiction after a doctorate coming back to BSc and this is what we are trying to avoid by asking the fresh HND holders to go straight to do the top-up programme and get the BSc and be at par with anybody else in the progression,” he said.
He added that HND holders would only be made to pay 10 per cent of the entire tuition fees to run the one-year top-up programme.
On the fears of the university system as against loosing their students, he said the programme would only bring competition.
When asked about the preference of foreign universities over local universities, Bugaje said the local universities were full of prejudice against HND.
The NBTE boss, however, blamed this on the National Universities Commission, who had refused to key into the programme in spite of written letters to inform them about the programme.
“The best dialogue is with the NUC and the ministry of education. We have written letters and sent reminders and even crafted a curriculum and we sent it to the ministry but it is like it has not seen the light of the day.
“We realised they are looking down on the academic board of polytechnics, they said the academic board of polytechnics are not equivalent to universities senate.
“We have been in this since two years I came in as executive secretary of NBTE. I have given the new minister brief on this and I am very confident he is going to endorse what we are doing,” he said.
He urged the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman to take a very strong position against the dichotomy while also hoping that the polytechnic Act would be revisited in no time to put an end to the dichotomy challenge.
He said the Act if reviewed would allow polytechnics to run bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in technology for their products.
“The polytechnic system is a system parallel to the university, we are not feeders. The Colleges of Education feed the university system.
” This is because anytime the national policy on education changes and they make BSc education the minimum qualification for teaching in basic schools, the role of the NCE will be over even the commission overseeing the programme will seize to exist.
” The COE all feed into the NUC programmes to produce graduates. In the polytechnics, we are a complimentary system, we produce technology and technicians for industries basically.
“But there are components of our systems also that pursue academic career and those ambition should not be stopped so I hope the roadmap committee the minister has set up will come up with a final solution for this dichotomy against HND,” he added.
NAN
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Oyo 2027: Adelabu Quits As Power Minister To Focus On Guber Race
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has formally resigned from his position in the Federal Government to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to the President, Adelabu stated that his resignation will take effect on April 30, 2026, to enable him to focus on his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”
He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”
Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.
He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.
“It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”
The former minister said his resignation was to enable him focus fully on his governorship ambition in Oyo State, citing provisions of the amended electoral law.
He added, “My decision to step down is informed by my intention to focus fully on my gubernatorial ambition in Oyo State. This aspiration, which dates back to 2016 during my service as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ultimately led to my voluntary resignation from the Central Bank in 2018 in order to pursue the same goal.”
“In line with the provisions of the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which preclude political office holders from contesting elections, I consider it both appropriate and necessary to resign at this time.”
Adelabu’s exit marks a major political development ahead of the next electoral cycle, particularly in Oyo State, where he is expected to contest the governorship election.
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Wale Edun, Musa Dangiwa Resigned Voluntarily, Not Sacked – Presidency
The Presidency has clarified that Wale Edun (former Finance Minister) and Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (former Housing Minister) voluntarily resigned from their positions and were not sacked by President Tinubu.
In a statement released this evening April 22, presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, said that contrary to public opinions, Wale Edun resigned on health grounds while Dangiwa also tendered his resignation and thanked the President for the opportunity given him to serve in the Federal Executive Council.
Onanuga stated that Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday and has battled recent ill health, fittingly submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, thanking the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria.
“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected. I wish you and the administration every success in the future” he wrote
Onanuga stated that on Tuesday, before the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation announced his departure from the Cabinet, Edun paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa and held an hour-long discussion with the president and then left to focus on his private businesses.
The presidential aide stated that President Tinubu has expressed deep appreciation to Edun and Dangiwa for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the administration’s economic reform programme and wished them continued success in their future endeavours.
‘’In the same vein, the President has urged the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms and advance the administration’s fiscal and economic objectives with renewed focus, discipline, and innovation.
President Tinubu will shortly send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, like Dangiwa, to the Senate for confirmation” the statement concluded
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Unity Bank, Experts Advocate Green Investment, Climate Innovation To Drive Economic Resilience
Nigeria’s retail lender, Unity Bank Plc, alongside leading climate innovation experts, has called for increased investment in the green economy and the adoption of frontier technologies as critical pathways to driving economic resilience and reducing the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations across Africa.
The call was made during a thought-provoking webinar hosted by the Bank to commemorate this year’s Earth Day, themed “The True Cost of Climate Change and Who Pays?”. Climate experts and stakeholders convened to examine the human, economic, and institutional costs of climate change, while spotlighting practical solutions to address its growing impact.
In his opening remarks, Unity Bank’s Head of Strategy and Innovation, Ibukun Coker, emphasised the urgency of addressing climate risks from both a societal and business perspective.
He said: “Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract challenge. It is an existential threat with direct consequences for individuals, businesses, and economies. At Unity Bank, we recognise the role institutions must play in incorporating sustainability in project financing, supporting businesses and promoting solutions that build resilience in communities where we operate.”
The webinar featured Chinwe Udo-Davis, Founder and CEO of Instollar, and Oluwatosin Ajide, Programme Manager at the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, both of whom provided insights into the drivers of climate change and the pathways to mitigation and adaptation.
Speaking during the session, Udo-Davis highlighted the disproportionate burden which climate change places on underserved communities and the need for inclusive solutions.
“The true cost of climate change is not evenly distributed. Communities with the least resources are often the most affected, whether through energy poverty, environmental degradation, or limited access to sustainable alternatives. Addressing this imbalance requires intentional investment in clean energy solutions that are both accessible and scalable.”
Ajide underscored the importance of coordinated, system-wide approaches in tackling climate challenges, particularly through innovation and policy alignment.
“Climate change is fundamentally a structural problem, and its solution requires a paradigm shift: from innovation and policy to financing and implementation. Stakeholders must work collaboratively to drive solutions that are sustainable and inclusive.”
The session also explored emerging opportunities in climate technology, renewable energy, and ecosystem financing, reinforcing the role of innovation and cross-sector collaboration in building long-term resilience.
By hosting the webinar, Unity Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing sustainability-focused dialogue and supporting initiatives that promote responsible growth and environmental stewardship.
The initiative underscores the Bank’s broader strategic focus on environmental sustainability as well as its commitment to financial inclusion.
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