Nigeria has no choice but to embed technology in education and economic development
The Federal Government has introduced specialised Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, software engineering, and networking.
The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, disclosed this in Abuja, describing it as a key step in aligning Nigeria’s education with global technological trends.
“We have unbundled the traditional HND programmes into more specific skill areas,” he said, noting the change is part of the broader Nigeria Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
Bugaje added that digital accreditation systems powered by AI are now being used to oversee institutions, track compliance, and detect malpractice.
“For example, a digital accreditation platform powered by AI has been deployed to monitor compliance with academic standards, identify faculty duplications, and curb malpractices,” he explained.
He noted that the initiative, guided by the Minimum National Academic Standards (MNAS), aims to make polytechnics more relevant.
“Nigeria has no choice but to embed technology in education and economic development,” he emphasised.