SPECIAL REPORT (DEVELOPING STORY): Lecturers, HODs, Graduates Speak on Future of HND Holders Amid Conversion Programme Concerns

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Illustrative image depicting the perceived academic and professional imbalance between HND and B.Sc. qualifications in Nigeria

By Victor Olubiye

The growing controversy surrounding the reported suspension of Higher National Diploma (HND) conversion programmes in some Nigerian universities has continued to generate reactions from lecturers, Heads of Department, graduates, and education stakeholders, many of whom fear the development may further deepen the long-standing HND/B.Sc. dichotomy in the country.

This follow-up report comes a day after The Creativity Site published an exclusive feature highlighting the concerns raised by Asiyanbi Blessing, a graduate of Mass Communication from Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, who questioned the future of HND holders if conversion programmes are eventually discontinued nationwide.

Following the publication, several stakeholders contacted by The Creativity Site shared differing perspectives on what the development could mean for polytechnic graduates, academic progression, and employment opportunities in Nigeria.

National Universities Commission (NUC) — the regulatory body overseeing university education standards in Nigeria

Hon. Comr. Ajayi Timileyin, popularly known as TimzExpert, described the suspension of conversion programmes as a development that may significantly affect HND holders academically and professionally.

According to him, conversion programmes have over the years provided HND graduates with direct access to Bachelor’s degrees required for postgraduate studies and broader educational opportunities.

“Without this option, many graduates will struggle to advance academically or compete with B.Sc holders for higher educational opportunities,” he said.

Timileyin further argued that the development could worsen existing discrimination against HND holders in employment spaces where university degrees are often preferred.

“The existing gap between HND and B.Sc qualifications in Nigeria is too high,” he noted, adding that many graduates may now face tougher competition through alternative routes such as Direct Entry, Postgraduate Diploma, or even studying abroad.

Despite his concerns, he maintained that practical skills, certifications, and competence still remain valuable in today’s evolving job market.

“I hope they rethink this decision and allow us HND graduates to continue conversion programmes in universities,” he added.

Flyers from selected Nigerian universities previously advertising HND Conversion and Top-Up programmes for Higher National Diploma holders

Also reacting, Mr. Williams Oluwasegun V. said although the suspension may create temporary academic challenges, it does not automatically destroy the future of HND graduates.

He argued that the real problem remains the persistent HND/B.Sc. dichotomy rather than the value of technical education itself.

“In sectors like tech, engineering, entrepreneurship, media, vocational industries, and private business, employers increasingly focus on competence, certifications, experience, and productivity,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria must stop treating HND qualifications as inferior, stressing that polytechnic education was originally designed to produce practical and technical professionals needed for national development.

“An HND holder with strong practical knowledge, certifications, communication skills, and experience can outperform a university graduate in many real-world situations,” he stated.

A Facebook post from Kwara State University (KWASU) announcing the discontinuation of its HND Conversion Programme, following regulatory directives

Adding an academic perspective, Mr. Adekunle Sikiru, Head of Department of Photography Technology at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, and National President of the Mass Communication Alumni of Osun State Polytechnic Iree (MAOS), said the issue goes beyond conversion programmes alone.

According to him, the real challenge has always been policy discrimination and societal perception.

“HND remains a valid and valuable qualification in Nigeria. The problem has never really been the quality of HND; it has largely been the perception and long-standing policy discrimination between HND and Bachelor’s degree holders,” he explained.

Sikiru maintained that polytechnic education remains one of the strongest platforms for practical knowledge and self-reliance, adding that the suspension of conversion programmes should force stakeholders to confront deeper structural issues within Nigeria’s educational system.

“The hope of HND holders should not be in conversion; it should be in recognition, policy reform, and demonstrated professional excellence,” he said.

Similarly, Mr. Adewumi Temitope, a lecturer and DPT(Daily Part Time) Mass Communication Departmental Coordinator at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, said the only lasting solution is for HND holders to collectively demand an end to the B.Sc.-HND dichotomy.

“The only hope for HND holders is for them to raise a voice for the B.Sc-HND dichotomy to be broken,” he stated.

AI-generated illustration depicting the perceived imbalance in recognition between HND and BSc qualifications in Nigeria’s education and employment system

For some graduates, however, the development carries a deeply personal effect.

Samuel Iyiola, an HND graduate who had plans to apply for a conversion programme next year, described the reports as heartbreaking.

“The conversion programme is also what I have in mind in obtaining next year, so seeing the story that it has been cancelled really saddens my heart,” he said.

He appealed to the government to reconsider any policy capable of shutting down what many graduates now see as one of their few remaining academic advancement opportunities.

Another graduate, Bamigbade Emmanuel O., popularly known as Oluwapaschal, said the discussion should not merely focus on suspending conversion programmes but on solving the systemic discrimination against HND holders.

“HND graduates are skilled and competent, and many have contributed greatly across different industries,” he noted.

He added that if conversion programmes are eventually phased out, authorities must ensure alternative policies that guarantee equal opportunities in employment, promotion, and further education.

Beyond interviews, reactions have also continued to emerge on social media platforms.

In a Facebook post obtained by The Creativity Site, Ridwan Olanrewaju, popularly known as Scripturist and a graduate of Mass Communication from Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, described the situation as “educationally discouraging and largely retrogressive.”

According to him, stopping HND top-up programmes risks widening the already existing gap between HND and Bachelor’s degree holders in Nigeria.

“Possession of HND certificates does not automatically imply intellectual inferiority when compared with holders of Bachelor’s Degrees,” he wrote.

He further argued that competence, intelligence, creativity, and professional excellence are not determined solely by qualification categories, while also urging graduates to embrace entrepreneurship, innovation, and continuous self-development amid Nigeria’s harsh economic realities.

As debates continue to grow around the future of HND conversion programmes, many stakeholders insist that the larger issue remains the need for true equality between polytechnic and university qualifications in Nigeria.


Additional reactions from stakeholders contacted by The Creativity Site are still being awaited and may be included in subsequent updates to this developing report.


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