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Nigeria: HND is Equivalent to a First Degree-Agada

Wale Ajao and Emmanuel Iriogbe

30 January 2008

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Lagos — Dr.Jerry Agada the Minister of State 1, Education, is a writer with many literary works to his credit. He is also the Vice-President of the Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA).

In an interactive session in Abuja, he disclosed that government does not discriminate between HND and degree holders. He also talked about governments plan for the education sector, ways the ministry intends to encourageNigerians to read/write and other issues.

Sir, what is government's stand on the issue of disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND), Degree holders in the country and the award of degree by select polytechnics?

Thank you. Talking about the disparity between HND and university degree holders, the truth of the matter is that people make mountain out of molehills.

Where there should be no problems we try to create one. As far as government is concerned, if you are a graduate with a first class degree and gets government job, you are started on level 8 and the same goes for HND holders.

But one may add that in the case of Engineering like mechanical, the feeling is to take a BSc holder before the HND holder and that is a matter of interest. But as far as government is concern-ed, HND is equivalent to a first degree.

What happens after sometime you are placed at a bar?

It depends on the organisation you are working for. Take for instance, when you cross to positions like Permanent Secretary and Director, it becomes political. There are some people on grade level 14 especially in the states and they are appointed Permanent Secretary.

Nobody can tell you that you cannot do the job of a permanent secretary because you have HND. To me, government's view on this matter is that you proceed to do your masters just like the first-degree holder.

The discrimination is not as pronounced as people would want us to believe that government is more interested in one than the other. In the case of upgrading, it is not peculiar to Nigeria. Take the case of Middlesex Polytechnic in the U.K that is now Middlesex University. It is a way of harmonising the two certificates to remove the so-called differences.

Public schools are in deplorable state. Is there a plan by government to hand over schools to missionaries so as to bring back their lost glory?

When you mention missionaries, you are talking of a private institution which the government has no authority on. You must be aware that there is a level to which the Federal Government can interfere in education as the Constitution is clear on the different aspects of education that the three tiers can handle.

Remember that constitutionally the states handle the issue of secondary education. In terms of general decay in most of the schools, it is a pathetic story, but government is taking steps towards reversing the trend hence the Public Private Partnership (PPP), because education cannot be left to government alone. We want private organisations to come in by putting their money so that things can be improved.

There are programs in the present reform arrangement where we encourage corporate organistions to partner with government by assisting in funding or assisting educational institutions in areas where such organisations are situated.

Most importantly, the Federal Ministry of Education is working towards reinvigorating the inspectorate department of the ministry so as to take charge of matters of quality assurance to make sure that the decay in the sector is minimized. Government is also encouraging the funding of the sector by the increase of money allocated to education, which stands presently at 13% compared to budgets of the past that the highest stood at 11%.

This shows that government of the day is desirous to reforming the sector and I am sure there will be an upward review of subsequent budgets. The general issue is to focus attention on improving facilities in these schools such as increment in funding. Is a Religious study a panacea for curbing indiscipline in these schools?

I do not think there is any school in Nigeria where religious studies is not taught. Be it Islamic Religious Studies or Christian Religious Studies. I want to tell you it is not the availability of these subjects that is the cause of indiscipline in schools. Look at the larger society and the number of churches and mosques.

They are so many yet we have vices like robbery, drug addiction, prostitution etc. So I think as the population increases, you should expect some problems like this.

When I mentioned the reinvigoration of the inspectorate unit, it is to take care of those types of things. We have the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) looking at standards at the university level. By the time the inspectorate comes on stream, it may develop to become a commission.

It will be in charge of activities in terms of quality assurance. We think some of these vices will be controlled. Moreso, making people know that if you engage in vices like cultism, sanctions await you.

As the vice-president of the Association of Nigeria Authors and an author of many literary works, what can be done to encourage Nigerians to read and write?

A lot of things can be done to improve the reading and writing habit of Nigerians. Our people do not read, unlike people in other climes where reading is part of their culture. They read in public places, such as in trains, aircrafts, vehicles etc. Everybody has something to read unlike here in Nigeria. Lack of reading has reduced people to gossips.

The Ministry of Education is partnering with ANA towards encouraging people to write, and we do that by bringing out avenues to encourage people to write. ANA is also partnering the Information and Orientation Ministry, as well as the Ministry of Arts and Culture.

So with all these activities on ground, I think a lot of improvement will come with the way our people write. Some time last week, I paid a courtesy call on the governor of Niger State and while there, the state branch of ANA came visiting and at the end of their visit the Chief Servant of the state, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu agreed to build a writers village and also agreed to publish the works of 20 budding authors of Niger State origin yearly.

I want to appeal to other governors and organisations to emulate this kind gesture by doing exactly the same thing or more. The "Read Campaign" of the Ministry will focus basically on carrying out advocacy on the importance of reading.

The UBE programme of government, how far?

The Universal Basic Education program is very much on ground. But looking at the population of our country, whatever effort government is making is like a drop in the ocean. It is been petered away by the magnitude of waiting requirements.

Formally, the UBE program was meant for only the primary schools, but these days you see us launching a curriculum for a 9-year programme to take care of the first 6 years of primary education and the first 3 years of secondary education. The Constitution limits the Federal Government to tertiary education not the secondary level, what we have at the secondary level is what we have with the unity schools.

We in this administration are doing things according to the Rule of Law as Mr. President keeps harping on us Ministers. We are not saying that things done in the past are bad, but we are only fine tuning things that we met on ground. Everybody should be educated. There is no reason for a child to go about hawking when that child ought to be in school, which amounts to child abuse.

How will you assess the Yar'Adua's administration on Education?

The government is focused. The Minister of Education and I held a meeting with stakeholders on how to move Education forward. We have been talking with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), telling them to lay down their grievances on the table so that the best thing is done for the generality of Nigerian students.

ASUU should also get their things done not by embarking on strikes and they have been very understanding and I want to commend the present leadership for understanding with us and this administration is also open-minded. That is why we are discussing so as to find a lasting solution to all problems. We want wider consultation. Any body that has any contribution on how to move education forward in the country should feel free to come forward and make his/her view known, after all nobody has monopoly of knowledge.

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