The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a decisive 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding urgent action on a range of unresolved issues affecting the nation’s polytechnic education sector. The union warned that failure to address these matters could trigger a nationwide industrial action that would disrupt academic activities across public polytechnics and monotechnics.
One of ASUP’s most prominent demands is the creation of the National Polytechnics Commission, a dedicated regulatory body akin to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). According to the union, the lack of such an institution has left the polytechnic sector without adequate oversight and development structures. ASUP expressed deep frustration over what it described as unnecessary delays in the legislative process to actualize this commission.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, ASUP President, Comrade Shammah Kpanja, called on the Federal Ministry of Education to expedite the forwarding of the executive bill establishing the commission to the National Assembly. He noted that the prolonged bureaucratic bottlenecks were undermining the capacity of polytechnics to meet national technical and vocational education goals.
Kpanja also condemned the government’s continued reliance on external consultants for accreditation exercises in polytechnics. He raised concerns about the competence, transparency, and background of some of the contractors involved, stressing that quality assurance in higher technical education should be handled by professionals with proven experience in the sector.
The union reiterated its long-standing grievance over the disparity in treatment between Higher National Diploma (HND) holders and university degree holders. ASUP insisted that this discriminatory policy is not only demoralizing for graduates of polytechnics but also harmful to Nigeria’s broader workforce development. The union argued that resolving this disparity is key to restoring confidence in the polytechnic system.
Highlighting the economic pressures on lecturers, Kpanja criticized the government’s failure to fully implement agreements reached in 2010 under the ASUP-FGN pact. Among the unresolved issues are the payment of the Peculiar Academic Allowance and the execution of the 25-35% salary review, which, according to the union, has been approved and budgeted for but remains unpaid.
ASUP also decried the removal of certain allowances from the federal budget, pointing to what it described as insufficient follow-up from key government agencies, including the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) and the Federal Ministry of Education. The union said these omissions have further strained the welfare of academic staff.
The situation in state-owned polytechnics appears even worse, with many states yet to implement the N70,000 national minimum wage. ASUP expressed dismay at the non-release of the second tranche of the approved NEEDS Assessment intervention fund, warning that no review of the first tranche’s utilization has been carried out, raising accountability concerns.
The union called for an overhaul of the quality assurance model currently in use in polytechnics, advocating for a transparent, professionally-driven system that genuinely upholds educational integrity. ASUP argued that such reforms are crucial if polytechnics are to produce graduates capable of meeting the nation’s technical and industrial needs.
Kpanja also stressed the need to reconstitute negotiations on the 2010 ASUP-FGN agreement, with a particular focus on longstanding demands like the payment of CONTISS 15 arrears and promotion arrears some dating back to as far as 2014 and 2019. The union described the continued neglect of these obligations as unacceptable.
After what it described as years of slow progress and government inaction, ASUP’s National Executive Council resolved to formally issue a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government. The union’s leadership emphasized that the clock has started ticking and that they expect concrete action before the deadline expires.
“The union may be compelled to declare a trade dispute and withdraw services across all public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide should these issues remain unresolved,” ASUP warned, signaling that a sector-wide shutdown could be imminent if the government does not act swiftly.
