Summoned to appear before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja are the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN). They are required to provide an explanation for their decision to eliminate the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Pharmaceutical Technology across all academic institutions in Nigeria.
A court date has been set for Friday, August 16, 2024, for the two entities to present their defense in response to a complaint lodged by six plaintiffs regarding the actions taken by the NBTE and PCN to discontinue the issuance of HND certificates in Pharmaceutical Technology.
The NBTE, through a circular dated April 7, 2024, announced the discontinuation of the HND program in Pharmaceutical Technology under its jurisdiction. The circular outlined the cessation of approval and accreditation for HND in Pharmacy Technician Programme while permitting the continuation of National Diploma in Pharmacy Technology.
Following a ministerial meeting in the Federal Ministry of Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, signed the circular. It was decided that existing students in the Pharmacy Technology program can complete their studies, but no new admissions will be accepted as of April 2024.
Additionally, the circular mentioned that graduates of Pharmacy Technology may face challenges securing roles in clinical settings per the PCN’s guidance but could explore employment opportunities in other sectors.
Expressing their discontent with the decision, the six plaintiffs, represented by their legal counsel Wumi Adebayo, filed an ex-parte application seeking an injunction to prevent the implementation of the circular discontinuing the HND program in Pharmacy Technology.
During the court hearing, the plaintiffs were reminded by Justice Lifu of the importance of including the Minister of Education as a party in the lawsuit, as the minister played a pivotal role in the decision-making process leading to the discontinuation of the HND certification.
In response, the judge directed the plaintiffs to amend their legal documents accordingly to involve all relevant parties due to the national significance of the case. Subsequently, they were instructed to serve the revised documents to the defendants, who must appear alongside the plaintiffs on August 16, 2024, to justify the validity of their actions.
In an official order, Justice Lifu invoked Order 26, Rule 8 of the 2019 court rules due to the national implications of the case, compelling the defendants to provide justification by the specified date as to why the plaintiffs’ requests should not be granted.
The plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit bearing the reference FHC/ABJ/CS/911/2024 are 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 parties named as defendants are NBTE and PCN.