The Federal Government has introduced specialised Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of efforts to align Nigeria’s technical education with global technological advancements.
The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to him, other newly introduced programmes include Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, and Networking.
Reflecting on the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration after two years in office, Bugaje described the move as a significant step towards equipping young Nigerians with the digital skills required for the modern economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“We have unbundled the traditional HND programmes into more specific skill areas. This is already being implemented, and under the Nigeria Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), we are offering even more specialised training modules in these areas,” he said.
Bugaje explained that the expansion into AI and other emerging technologies extended beyond academic curricula, noting that digital tools had also been integrated into the governance and quality assurance of technical institutions.
“For example, a digital accreditation platform powered by AI has been deployed to monitor compliance with academic standards, identify faculty duplications, and curb malpractices. If a lecturer appears on multiple polytechnic websites, the AI system will flag it. This will help us maintain integrity in the accreditation process,” he said.
Under the new system, institutions are now required to upload comprehensive information on their facilities, equipment, and staff onto a centralised digital platform.
“With this, we no longer need to send physical teams for most accreditations. This saves cost, reduces risk, and curbs manipulation of the process,” he added.
For institutions located in remote areas without reliable internet access, Bugaje said the NBTE had made temporary provisions, allowing assessments by accredited vendors who would submit reports to the board for approval or rejection of programmes.
He noted that the digital shift in accreditation was guided by the Minimum National Academic Standards (MNAS), which specify detailed requirements for each National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programme, including faculty qualifications, facilities, and equipment.
Bugaje said both the digital accreditation initiative and the introduction of advanced technology programmes were aimed at enhancing the relevance of Nigerian polytechnics in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
He added that the approach would also enable the country to harness technology as a driver of economic growth, much like several Southeast Asian countries had done.
“Nigeria has no choice but to embed technology in education and economic development. This is how we can unlock growth and prosperity in the digital age,” he said.
