The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has given the Federal Government 21 days to resolve a raft of lingering challenges confronting the polytechnic education system, warning that failure to act could trigger a nationwide strike that would halt academic activities.
A major item on the union’s demand list is the creation of a specialized regulatory body, the National Polytechnics Commission, akin to the agencies overseeing universities and colleges of education.
ASUP lamented what it described as the slow pace of the legislative process required to bring the commission into existence.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, ASUP President, Comrade Shammah Kpanja, called on the Federal Ministry of Education to “expedite the transmission of the executive bill to the National Assembly.”
Kpanja also faulted the continued reliance on external consultants for accreditation exercises in polytechnics, expressing unease over the competence and background of some contractors engaged for the task.
The union further reiterated its long-standing grievance over the unequal treatment of Higher National Diploma holders compared with university degree holders, insisting that the persistent disparity demoralizes polytechnic graduates and undermines sectoral growth.
In addition, ASUP decried the worsening economic conditions faced by polytechnic lecturers and accused the government of dragging its feet on commitments under the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement.
These commitments, the union said, include payment of the Peculiar Academic Allowance and full implementation of the 25–35% salary review, provisions that ASUP claims are in the national budget but remain unimplemented.
The union also pointed to the removal of some allowances from the federal budget and what it termed poor follow-up by relevant bodies, including the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education.
ASUP noted that the situation is worse in state-owned polytechnics, where the N70,000 national minimum wage is yet to be implemented in several states.
It also expressed displeasure over the delay in releasing the second tranche of the approved NEEDS Assessment intervention fund and the lack of a review of the first tranche’s usage.
Raising concerns about the government’s quality assurance framework for polytechnics, the union demanded a more transparent and professionally handled process to safeguard educational standards.
It further stressed the urgency of reconvening negotiations on the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement, particularly to address unpaid CONTISS 15 arrears and promotion arrears, some dating as far back as 2014 and 2019.
Highlighting the absence of tangible progress on these fronts, the union’s National Executive Council decided to issue the 21-day ultimatum.
“The union may be compelled to declare a trade dispute and withdraw services across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide should these issues remain unresolved,” the ASUP leadership warned.