After PIJAlance Story, N1.8m NBTE Top up Program Cost Drops by %40

The formerly N1.8m to enroll for the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) topup degree program cost has drastically been reduced barely by 40 per cent after the PIJAlance story on the cost.

On Aug 15, 2023 while all the national dailies and suburb bloggers filled their pages and websites with the awe of NBTE over the Topup degree programs it recently launched for Polytechnics’ Higher National Diploma (HND) students. The PIJAlance magazine went on a pursuit to examine the cost of the program and try to analyse it if it is feasible for the common men.

It was the only medium that authoritatively and independently raised the alarm that the NBTE Top up degree cost is N1.8m and is not feasible for the common men whose cost of living has risen by almost 70 per cent in the country.

The PIJAlance wrote that at the official exchange rate of the dollar to the naira which was N799/$1 (then), an HND student planning to enroll for a conversion through the NBTE Topup Programs will be spending a sum of N838,950—a cost that is higher than the average amount of Nigeria’s cost of living to feed a family of four without rent fees. Yet, there may be other costs.

In the face of the rising dollar and the weakening naira with the country’s economy romancing hardening cataclysm and major setbacks for businesses, the PIJAlance also calculated the cost of the program which is run mostly by foreign universities under NBTE, at the parallel market the dollar is exchanged at the rate of N960/$1. Based on this, the PIJAlance calculated the costs of the NBTE Topup Programs and found that $1050 is equivalent to a sum of N1.8m.

According to Numbeo.com, a website that measures the cost of living for countries of the world, a family of four will spend “1,419.4$ (1,095,563.1₦) without rent, monthly. While a single person estimated monthly costs are 398.1$ (307,265.0₦) without rent in Nigeria.”

Regarding this analysis, NBTE Topup Programs are planning to gulp as much as the costs of living of a single person without a rent fee and take a larger chunk too from the costs of living of a family of four. In other words, it is planning to retain an entire life, PIJAlance had written here.

As the custom of the PIJAlance which is to speak for the marginalised, our correspondent initially registered for the top up degree and found that it cost $1050USD with the inclusion of a form fee that cost $50usd.

After this, more potential top up degree candidates were consulted and they also found the cost boggling with some comparing the cost to how much they need to travel out of the country for their studies.

NBTE through its Head of Media Unit, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, offered the clarification in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday that afterwards “the top up degree is not for everyone.”

The PIJAlance published other universities in Nigeria which run the top up degree at a lower cost.

But despite the cost, NBTE has consistently pride over its initiative that it is the best, not minding the affordability of the common men and their children on the streets.

However, after our story, the PIJAlance found the top up degree cost lower by 40 per cent from N1.8m to N650,000 as total program fees with the form fee at N50,000.

This cost is further simplified as it can be payable in four installments. This means that N650,000 divided to four, can be paid four times throughout the end of the program.

This cost may as though be a little bit costly, it is a pocket friendly cost compared to the cost other Nigeria universities offer for a top up degree.

Read Also:How to Apply for NBTE Approved One-year Conversion Programme for HND to BSc

Enoch Oyedibu

Brazen Investigative Journalist with a deep interest for tracking the grassroots impacts of government procurement.