ASUP Threatens Strike in Nigerian Polytechnics Over Unmet Welfare Demands
A fresh crisis is looming in Nigeria’s technical education sector as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet long-standing demands affecting staff welfare and the future of polytechnic education.
ASUP’s President, Shammah Kpanja, announced in Abuja after an emergency meeting of the union’s leadership. He expressed deep concern over the challenges faced by lecturers in polytechnics, accusing the government of neglecting its commitments.
One major issue is the failure of the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission to release a circular for the payment of the Peculiar Academic Allowance, which is part of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement. Kpanja lamented that instead of making provisions for the payment, the allowance has been removed from the national budgeting template, with no decisive intervention from the Federal Ministry of Education.
ASUP is also demanding the payment of the 25% and 35% salary review arrears, which cover 12 months and have already been captured in the budget but are yet to be released. The union also noted that some state-owned polytechnics have not implemented the N70,000 national minimum wage, adding to the frustration of lecturers.
Another key grievance is the continued discrimination against Higher National Diploma (HND) holders, despite policies meant to address it. Kpanja said the government’s delay in approving a dual mandate structure is indirectly encouraging such discrimination. He also criticized the outsourcing of quality assurance activities in polytechnics, calling it ethically and economically flawed.
The union further accused the government of failing to release the second round of the approved NEEDS Assessment intervention and neglecting to review how the first round was used. ASUP is also calling for the creation of a dedicated commission to regulate the tertiary education component of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which is part of the approved sectoral roadmap of the education ministry but has not yet been implemented.
Other unresolved issues include unpaid promotion arrears, the non-implementation of promotions in some institutions dating back to 2019, and the stalled renegotiation of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement. The union also highlighted the government’s failure to resolve the long-standing issue of unpaid CONTISS 15 arrears since 2014.
Kpanja warned that if the government fails to act within the 21-day window, ASUP will declare a trade dispute and commence a nationwide strike, which would halt academic activities across all public polytechnics and monotechnics.
This looming industrial action could disrupt the academic calendar in Nigerian polytechnics, affecting thousands of students and staff nationwide if urgent action is not taken to resolve the standoff.
