Following the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the government and proprietors of public polytechnics and monotechnics in Nigeria, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Zone C has said the union would make a declaration of trade dispute and withdraw the services of members across the country.
Rising from an emergency meeting of its Zonal Executive Council held at Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, the union, through its Zone C Coordinator, Nurudeen Adekunle, accused the government of insensitivity and deliberate foot-dragging on agreements and policies aimed at revitalising polytechnic education.
ASUP recalled that its National Executive Council (NEC) had, in August 2025, issued a 21-day ultimatum to government and proprietors of polytechnics, warning that failure to address the union’s grievances could trigger nationwide industrial action.
Among the unresolved issues, the union listed the non-documentation of the Peculiar Academic Allowance (PAA) despite being a key component of the 2010 ASUP/FGN agreement, and the non-payment of 12 months’ arrears of the 25/35 per cent consequential salary adjustment owed to staff in federal polytechnics and monotechnics since 2023. It also faulted the failure of many state governments to implement the new minimum wage in their institutions.
The lecturers further criticised the outsourcing of accreditation personnel by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), warning that the move could compromise quality assurance, expose institutions to unethical practices, and create financial burdens on already underfunded schools.
Other grievances include the non-release of funds for the 2023 Needs Assessment intervention, the government’s silence on key provisions of the education roadmap, such as establishing a dedicated polytechnic commission and dual mode degree programmes, as well as the refusal to pay long outstanding promotion arrears and CONTISS 15 allowances.
ASUP also lamented the continued division against Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in the public service despite the passage of a bill by the National Assembly to abolish the practice, urging President Bola Tinubu to assent to the legislation without delay.
In addition, the union accused some state governments of failing to domesticate the 2019 Federal Polytechnic Amendment Act, thereby depriving staff of improved welfare and career progression. It also condemned alleged interference in union activities by the management of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, where armed security personnel were reportedly deployed to disrupt union meetings.
ASUP, however, reaffirmed its readiness for dialogue, stressing that the government’s swift intervention remained the only way to avert a nationwide shutdown of polytechnics. The union urged all stakeholders to treat the matter with urgency, warning that prolonged inaction would not only cripple academic activities but also further endanger the future of Nigeria’s teeming youths who rely on polytechnic education.
By : Adelowo Adebumiti and Funmi Ogunseye @TheGaurdian
