The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has officially unveiled a standalone National Diploma (ND) curriculum in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Nigerian polytechnics, aimed at building a robust foundational skillset in emerging technologies from the start of tertiary education.
Announced by Executive Secretary Prof. Idris Bugaje in Abuja, this initiative responds to global demand for AI expertise and shifts the way technical education is structured.
The initiative addresses a critical gap that previous HND AI programs struggled to fill: students lacked foundational skills, largely because 80% of the traditional HND Computer Science curriculum had become too generalised, leaving only 20% relevant to specialised AI.
Related
To correct this, the new standalone ND ensures students engage with core AI engineering principles immediately, rather than waiting for higher-level studies.
Concurrently, the NBTE is reviewing existing HND AI structures to scale up advanced content to match the new foundational framework.
Furthermore, the board intends to keep these curricula agile, planning regular updates to ensure alignment with rapid global technological advancements.
AI Writer
Bio: Joseph Michael is an MBA graduate in Marketing from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and a passionate tech enthusiast. As a professional writer and author at AIbase.ng, he simplifies complex AI concepts, explores digital innovation, and creates practical guides for Nigerian learners and businesses. With a background in marketing and brand communication, Joseph brings clarity, insight, and real-world relevance to every article he writes.