*Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, urges the affected workers to undergo a year-long mandatory training before their conversion from 鈥楨xecutive鈥� to 鈥極fficers鈥� cadre, challenging the country鈥檚 workforce to commit to continuous self-development in regard to emerging global challenges, technologies, and the new world of work

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The age-long edgy issue of the Bachelor of Science (BSc)/Higher National Diploma (HND) dichotomy has resurfaced in recent national public discourse, as Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), has urged the affected workers to undergo a year-long mandatory training before their conversion from 鈥淓xecutive鈥� to 鈥淥fficers鈥� cadre in the country鈥檚 human capital development ecosystem.

Yemi-Esan stated this during a virtual interactive session with civil servants in commemoration of the 2024 Civil Service Week.

Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation

绿帽献妻 reports the year鈥檚 Civil Service Week had the theme: 鈥淓ducate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Life-long, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa鈥�.

NUC vs. NBTE on University and Polytechnic curriculum content

The HoCSF also noted that the one-year obligatory training programme to bridge the gap between Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) awarded in polytechnics, and University degrees has been a subject of controversy between the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) over the years.

The stakeholders, over the years, had called for an end to the lingering disparity between HND offered by polytechnics and Bachelor鈥檚 Degrees offered by universities.

It is equally recalled the 9th National Assembly (NASS), in 2021, in Abuja, FCT, had passed an Act to end the dichotomy.

However, the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari did not sign it into law before leaving office.

In the process, the NBTE, which regulates technical and vocational education, introduced a year鈥檚 鈥渢op-up programme鈥�, which offers a platform for HND holders to level up towards obtaining Bachelor鈥檚 Degrees.

But in response to the NBTE鈥檚 move to have designed a top-up programme for its graduates to level with the University graduates rejected the arrangement.

The NUC reportedly frowned on the programme on the basis that it was not within NBTE鈥檚 jurisdiction in the Nigerian education system to determine what the requirements are to bridge the two tertiary education certificates,

The Commission further contended that the two higher institutions of learning are diametrically different by curriculum content and faculties, which produce the graduates in each case.

Realities of dichotomy between BSc, HND holders in the Civil Service

Answering a question from one of the civil servants during the recent virtual meeting during the 2024 Service Week, Yemi-Esan acknowledged that the curriculum for HND and B.Sc holders are not the same.

Hence, HND graduates would need to undergo mandatory one-year training before conversion from Executive to Officers鈥� cardre.

Earlier, certain Mr. Adebayo Bamidele Hassan, on Grade Level 14, had asked for clarification on the dichotomy between BSc and HND holders in the country鈥檚 Civil Service system, and what the Federal Government has been doing to bridge the gap.

Speaking on the theme of the 2024 Civil Service Week, Dr. Yemi-Esan as well emphasised the need for education to be accessible, inclusive, and of high quality.

She also highlighted the need for it to constantly remain relevant to the rapidly evolving demands of the modern world.

On emerging global technologies and new world of work

The Nigerian HoCSF stated: 鈥淭he theme also speaks to how the Nigerian Civil Service is leveraging learning and development to enhance the capacity and capability of its workforce with a view to delivering on national priorities.鈥�

She further stressed the first priority area/pillar of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 25) is Capacity Building and Talent Management, which is in line with the theme selected by the African Union for this year鈥檚 celebration.

Yemi-Esan affirmed that the lessons learned in the recent years further underscored the need for civil servants to commit to continuous self-development, particularly in view of emerging global challenges and emerging technologies and the new world of work.

The significance of KPIs in Performance Management System, by Yemi-Esan

According to her, the rapidly changing work environment as well as demands for greater efficiency have necessitated the adoption of Performance Management System (PMS) by the Nigerian Civil Service.

She disclosed the PMS Policy and Guidelines have been developed and circulated to all Ministries, extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

She pointed out that core teams for its implementation have been duly constituted.

鈥淧MS implementation has been cascaded to the Ministries, with the Permanent Secretaries serving as the primary drivers.

鈥淚n this regard, performance contracts are to be further cascaded down to the last officer in each MDA, she noted.

Yemi-Esan added: 鈥淭his new system will assess each officer鈥檚 performance solely based on their respective Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and it will enable tracking of job objectives across all MDAs.

鈥淏y implication, each officer across the Service can clearly link his goals and objectives with those of his department, those of the respective Ministry and the national KPIs.鈥�

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