The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) have been summoned to court over their proposal to discontinue the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Pharmaceutical Technology program.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) to appear before him to provide justification for their decision to eliminate the awarding of Higher National Diploma (HND) in Pharmaceutical Technology across all educational institutions in Nigeria.

The judge has scheduled their appearance for Friday, August 16, 2024, to present their defense. This action follows a complaint lodged by six plaintiffs regarding the decisions made by the two bodies to cease the issuance of HND certificates in Pharmaceutical Technology.

In a circular dated April 7, 2024, the NBTE announced its resolution to halt the awarding of HND certificates in Pharmaceutical Technology for all institutions under its jurisdiction.

The circular stated that the NBTE would no longer approve or accredit HND programs in Pharmacy Technician but would continue to provide approval and accreditation for the National Diploma in Pharmacy Technology.

The circular, which was signed by the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, after a ministerial meeting at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, indicated that all students currently enrolled in the Pharmacy Technology program would be permitted to graduate, although no new admissions would be accepted starting April 2024.

The circular also stated that graduates of Pharmacy Technology may not find opportunities in clinical environments, as per the PCN, but they can pursue careers in other fields.

Dissatisfied with this decision, the six plaintiffs, represented by their attorney Wumi Adebayo, filed an ex-parte application in court seeking an interim injunction to prevent the two defendants from enforcing the circular that proposed the discontinuation of the HND program in Pharmacy Technology.

After considering the arguments presented by the plaintiffs, the judge highlighted their oversight in not including the Minister of Education as a party in their case, given that the decision to terminate the HND certificate originated from the minister. Justice Lifu subsequently instructed them to amend their filings to include the necessary parties, acknowledging the national significance of the matter at hand.

Following the amendments, the judge mandated that the plaintiffs serve the updated documents to the defendants, who are required to appear in court alongside the plaintiffs on August 16, 2024, to explain why the requested relief should not be granted.

In an enrolled order, Justice Lifu remarked: “In light of the national implications of this case, I hereby invoke Order 26, Rule 8 of the 2019 rules of this court, directing the defendants to show cause by Friday, August 16, 2024, as to why the reliefs sought should not be granted as requested in the motion ex parte.”

The plaintiffs in the case designated FHC/ABJ/CS/911/2024 include Abdul Aziz Bello, AbdulRasheed Tanimu, Osaro Odeh, Comrade Olufemi Adebisi, the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, and the National Association of Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians of Nigeria.

The two defendants are the NBTE and the PCN.