NBTE warns illegal diploma awards, asserting its sole authority to accredit and regulate ND and HND programmes across Nigeria

NBTE warns illegal diploma awards in a strong message to professional and examination bodies allegedly conducting and issuing unapproved National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) certificates across Nigeria.

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In a statement released on Thursday in Kaduna, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Professor Idris Bugaje, through the board’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mrs Fatima Abubakar, described the acts as illegal and contrary to the provisions of the NBTE’s establishing law.

According to the circular, the NBTE remains the only legally empowered body, under Federal Government Decree No. 9 of 1977 as amended by Act 16 of 1985, to approve, accredit, and regulate all ND and HND programmes in Nigeria.

The board emphasised that no other institution or professional body is authorised to design or award such qualifications.

The NBTE reaffirmed that only accredited Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions—such as Polytechnics, Colleges of Nursing Sciences, Colleges of Health, and Colleges of Agriculture—meeting prescribed standards can lawfully run ND and HND programmes.

Professor Bugaje warned that the board would not hesitate to take decisive regulatory or legal action against any body engaging in these unlawful activities.

He called on stakeholders and the public to remain vigilant and ensure full compliance with established technical education standards.

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This latest caution follows NBTE’s earlier declaration in September to sustain its crackdown on mushroom institutions falsely presenting themselves as polytechnics, in line with the government’s commitment to safeguarding the quality of technical education nationwide.