The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) chief has stirred the pot by predicting the decline of university degrees within the next ten to fifteen years. Idris Bugaje, the NBTE executive secretary, emphasized during his recent statements on March 16, 2025, the pressing need for Nigeria to shift its focus from traditional degrees to skills qualifications.
Bugaje pointed to the prevailing cultural mindset within Nigerian society, where degrees from universities are viewed as inherently superior to diplomas or higher national diplomas. "Degrees will lose their relevance in the next 10 to 15 years. Skills qualification is what will give you a job," he stated, highlighting the dismal statistics around admissions across different educational institutions. Currently, universities absorb approximately 70 percent of total student admissions, leaving polytechnics and colleges of education with just 18 to 20 percent and 10 to 12 percent, respectively.
This pronounced imbalance showcases not only the widespread inclination toward university education but also raises concerns about the sustainability of this model, especially as it relates to the ever-evolving job market. According to Bugaje, the existing disparity also manifests itself within the civil service, where individuals holding higher national diplomas (HND) find themselves capped at grade level 14, significantly limiting their career advancement compared to their degree-holding counterparts.
Bugaje's call to action includes proposals to dismantle this dichotomy by advocating for institutions to transition from awarding HNDs to providing bachelor of technology honors degrees. "We are now proposing to the government to let us scrap the HND," he explained. "Let them go and do a bachelor of technology honors after achieving their national diploma. This will not only help eliminate the current divide but will also promote progression for polytechnic graduates."
His rationale is rooted not just in statistics but also historical precedent; Bugaje cited successful reforms implemented by countries like Ghana and South Africa, where polytechnic institutions can offer both HNDs and bachelor level degrees concurrently. "The industry also prefers HND to degree holders, but more than anything, the global recognition of skills is ever-growing," Bugaje emphasized. The restructuring he envisions would include integrating mandatory skills qualifications for all polytechnic graduates to duly prepare them for the workforce.
Bugaje's reform agenda doesn’t stop there. He’s also been vocal about the glaring gap between education and practical application of skills, noting, "The degree will soon be obsolete and of no use. Even if you get a job, you have to upskill from time to time." The demand for skilled labor has never been more pronounced; Bugaje pointed out the troubling dependency on foreign skilled labor, such as the eleven thousand skilled workers from India brought to work on the Dangote refinery due to the lack of domestic equivalents.
He detailed the dire statistics facing Nigeria's technical training sector, noting, "Out of over 15,000 senior secondary schools, there are only 129 technical colleges, representing less than 1 percent. We have not prioritized TIVET (Technical, Industrial, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Training) for so long, and this is the result we see today," Bugaje lamented.
To tackle these challenges head-on, the NBTE has implemented reforms to promote technical education as the backbone of Nigeria’s industrial and economic growth. He stated, "We are introducing skills training as mandatory across all polytechnics, enabling students to graduate with dual certificates—one rooted in their traditional educational paths and the other firmly grounded in skills qualifications."
Bugaje also intends to advocate fiercely for government support and systemic changes. Expressing optimism, he noted, "We have started discussions with the honorable Minister of Education about amending the Polytechnic Act to facilitate these changes. It’s about creating structures where HND holders can also climb the ranks as lecturers and finally manage polytechnics."
Despite his ambitious reform agenda, Bugaje has acknowledged substantial challenges along the way, particularly around funding and staffing. Reports indicate the NBTE has scarcely enough personnel overseeing its 896 institutions, only about 100 academic officers, which remains far from what’s necessary. The disparity is stark—between 200 university institutions receiving considerable funding compared to the meager budget allocations for polytechnics.
Yet, he remains hopeful. With the backing of the new minister, who is reportedly quite passionate about supporting skills-based education, Bugaje believes the changes he proposes can strengthen technical education and render it more relevant than ever.
Finally, Bugaje stressed the importance of re-engaging industry partners for collaboration. With the focus on aligning educational outcomes with industry needs, he remarked, "Polytechnics are not just meant to produce workers for the public service. The majority of our graduates should be geared for private sector industries, which need to support us to refine our educational delivered skills," pointing toward burgeoning opportunities for partnerships.
Idris Bugaje’s foresight highlights not only the challenges present within Nigeria’s education system but also serves as justification for urgent reform to align educational strategies with the practical demands of today’s workforce. This shift aims to cultivate skilled professionals who can contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic development.