The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, has declared that Higher National Diploma (HND) holders must undergo a one-year mandatory training before their conversion from the Executive to Officers cadre in the civil service.
This policy was revealed during a virtual interactive session commemorating the 2024 Civil Service Week. The session, themed “Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Life-long, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa,” highlighted the necessity for continuous, inclusive, and high-quality education to meet modern demands.
The disparity between HND and B.Sc holders has been a controversial issue, with previous legislative attempts to eliminate this divide failing to secure presidential assent. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has since introduced a one-year top-up program to help HND holders achieve equivalence with bachelor’s degrees.
Dr. Yemi-Esan stated the curriculum differences between HND and B.Sc programs, justifying the need for the additional training.
Dr. Yemi-Esan discussed the adoption of a Performance Management System (PMS) within the civil service. This system, driven by permanent secretaries in various ministries, aims to link individual performance metrics with national goals, ensuring greater efficiency and accountability across the board.
The ongoing digital transformation of the Federal Civil Service, including the digitization of personal and policy files and the implementation of electronic workflows for official correspondences, was also highlighted as a critical step towards modernizing government operations.
