The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, has asked workers with Higher National Diploma to undergo one-year mandatory training before their conversion from Executive to Officers cadre.

According to a statement on Saturday, Yemi-Esan said this at a virtual interactive session with civil servants in commemoration of the 2024 Civil Service Week with the theme, “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.”

The one-year mandatory training programme to bridge the gap between polytechnic awarded Higher National Diplomas and university degrees has been controversial between the National Universities Commission and the National Board for Technical Education.

A bill was passed at the Ninth National Assembly in 2021 to end the dichotomy but was not signed into law by the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking on the 2024 Civil Service Week theme, Yemi-Esan emphasised the need for education to be accessible, inclusive and of high quality, while highlighting the need for it to constantly remain relevant to the rapidly evolving demands of the modern world.

According to her, “The 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.”