The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has given the Federal Government a 15-day ultimatum to suspend the implementation of a new scheme of service for polytechnics or face industrial action. This development comes in response to a controversial document presented by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) aimed at developing the polytechnic sector.
On June 19, 2024, NBTE Executive Secretary Prof Idris Bugaje unveiled the new Schemes of Service, approved by the Federal Government for Nigerian polytechnics, effective from June 7, 2024. The scheme was presented as a unified approach to staff recruitment and promotion across federal, state, and private polytechnics in Nigeria. One notable change allows Higher National Diploma (HND) holders with good grades to be employed as academic staff to lecture in polytechnics, similar to those with degrees.
However, ASUP has raised several concerns about the new scheme. Dr. Abdulazeez Ibrahim-Badaru, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUP Zone A, addressed these issues during a press conference in Kaduna on July 11, 2024. The union’s main grievances include:
- Lack of input from ASUP and other stakeholders.
- Major changes from a previous document based on consultations since 2012.
- New requirement of National Skills Qualifications (NSQ) for academic career advancement.
- Lower entry requirements for Bachelor’s degree holders compared to HND holders.
- Splitting the Senior Lecturer level into two tiers, adding complexity.
- Career progression extended to at least 26 years for Graduate Assistants.
- Non-academic titles for librarians, undermining their academic role.
- Reduced terminal levels for Library Officer, Executive Officer, and Confidential Secretary positions.
- Reclassifying Technologists as non-academic staff, devaluing their roles.
- Preferential treatment for Bachelor’s degrees over HNDs for Registrar and Bursar positions.
- Exclusion of the HND Pharmaceutical Technology program despite a court ruling.
- Ph.D. required for Lecturer career progression without available degree programs in polytechnics.
ASUP argues that these changes could cause discord in the polytechnic sector and devalue polytechnic education. The union demands a return to the previous system in several areas and wants to reduce the lecturer cadre from a 9-step to a 7-step structure.
The ultimatum, which began on July 8, 2024, gives the Federal Government until July 23, 2024, to address these concerns. If the implementation of the new scheme is not suspended by then, ASUP has warned of potential industrial action.
This situation shows the ongoing difficulties in Nigeria’s education sector, particularly in coordinating policies across different types of colleges. As the deadline approaches, stakeholders in education will closely observe how the government handles ASUP’s demands and its implications for the future of polytechnic education in Nigeria.
