Nigeria, April 8 -- The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Ayede, Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed, has called for the cancellation of the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme in Nigerian polytechnics.

Instead, he is advocating for the introduction of skill-based Bachelor's degree programmes.

In an exclusive interview, Dr. Abdul-Hameed said it was time for Nigeria to move away from traditional paper qualifications and focus more on practical skills. He noted that this approach is already being adopted in many developed countries.

"It's time Nigeria cancelled the HND programme from polytechnics," he said. "In developed countries, the focus is now on vocational skills. Even the British, whose educational system we follow, have already...