The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve longstanding issues affecting polytechnic education, warning that failure to act could trigger a nationwide strike disrupting academic activities.
Speaking on Friday, ASUP President Shammah Kpanja outlined key demands, including the urgent establishment of the National Polytechnics Commission, a dedicated regulatory body for polytechnics similar to those for universities and colleges of education. He expressed frustration over delays in the legislative process to create the commission.
Kpanja also criticised the ongoing reliance on external consultants for accreditation exercises, questioning the competence and background of some consultants involved.
The union reaffirmed its call to end the disparity in treatment between Higher National Diploma (HND) holders and university degree holders, highlighting that such discrimination demoralises polytechnic graduates and hampers the sector’s growth.
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ASUP further condemned the economic hardships faced by polytechnic lecturers, accusing the government of failing to fully implement provisions of the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement. This includes the non-payment of the Peculiar Academic Allowance and the incomplete rollout of the agreed 25–35% salary review, which remains unimplemented despite being budgeted.
The union also criticised the removal of certain allowances from the federal budget and cited inadequate follow-up by agencies like the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Federal Ministry of Education.
The situation is said to be worse in state-owned polytechnics, where the new ₦70,000 national minimum wage has yet to be implemented in many states.
ASUP expressed displeasure over delays in releasing the second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention fund and noted that no review has been conducted on the utilisation of the first tranche.
ASUP also called for reforms in the quality assurance model for polytechnics, advocating for a more transparent and professionally managed accreditation process to safeguard educational standards.
The union demanded the reconvening of negotiations on unresolved aspects of the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement, including the payment of CONTISS 15 arrears and promotion arrears dating back to 2014 and 2019 respectively.
Following these concerns, the ASUP National Executive Council resolved to issue the 21-day ultimatum to the government.
“If these issues remain unresolved, the union may be compelled to declare a trade dispute and withdraw services across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide,” ASUP warned.
The Federal Government has yet to respond to the ultimatum, with stakeholders awaiting possible developments in the coming weeks.
