Polytechnic lecturers across Nigeria have issued a stern ultimatum to the federal government, threatening to embark on industrial action if the recently released Scheme of Service by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is not suspended.
The lecturers, through the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), have expressed profound dissatisfaction with the new scheme, which they claim lacks inclusive stakeholder input and diverges significantly from earlier consultations.
At a press conference held in Kaduna, Abdulazeez Ibrahim Badaru, Zonal Coordinator for Zone A of ASUP, articulated the lecturers’ grievances, emphasising that the new scheme was released without adequate consultation with key stakeholders, including the union.
“These observations and reservations were meticulously discussed during the 110th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUP on July 4, 2024, as well as the Zonal Executive Officers of our Zone of the Union on July 10, 2024,” Badaru stated.
The union highlighted several critical issues with the new scheme: Firstly, the lecturers argue that the NBTE’s document was developed without meaningful input from the union and other stakeholders in the polytechnic sector. This lack of inclusivity is seen as a deliberate attempt to create division within the sector. Secondly, the inclusion of National Skills Qualifications (NSQ) as a mandatory criterion for career advancement is viewed as an unnecessary burden that does not enhance the delivery of curricula at the tertiary level.
Thirdly, the union pointed out discrepancies in entry-level requirements for Graduate Assistants, which appear to favor Bachelor degree holders over Higher National Diploma (HND) holders, thus undermining fairness.
Additionally, the division of the senior lecturer position into two distinct levels is seen as an unnecessary complication that elongates the career progression timeline.
The introduction of titles such as Assistant Director (Library) and Deputy Director (Library) is criticized for undermining the academic nature of the librarian cadre. Moreover, reductions in terminal levels for various cadres are deemed demotivating and detrimental to the polytechnic sector.
The reclassification of technologists as non-academic staff devalues their contributions and is unacceptable to the union. The preferential treatment given to Bachelor degree holders over HND holders for key appointments is considered discriminatory. Furthermore, the failure to include the HND Pharmaceutical Technology program, despite a court ruling, raises legal concerns.
The newly mandated PhD requirement for certain positions is questioned, especially given the lack of relevant doctoral programs in polytechnics. The union has issued a 15-day ultimatum, effective from July 8, 2024, demanding the suspension of the contentious scheme. Failure to address these concerns, Dr. Badaru warned, would result in diverse forms of industrial action.
“We wish to stress that we studied the document thoroughly and we are committed to pursuing these issues to their logical conclusions,” he asserted.
The polytechnic lecturers’ ultimatum underscores a growing discontent within the academic community over policies perceived as unfair and detrimental to the sector’s progress.
