Polytechnic workers reject NBTE’s revised scheme of service
Reported by Sele Media Africa| Ihuoma Amarachi
Abuja, Nigeria — Polytechnic workers in Nigeria have rejected the revised scheme of service drafted by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for polytechnics, citing sharp disparities between teaching and non-teaching staff and concerns that the new framework undermines career progression for non-academic personnel.
At a recent stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) formally expressed its objections, submitting a minority report to the Minister of Education, Dr. Moruf Alausa. The union’s national president, Philip Ogunsipe, said the reviewed scheme introduced “unequal structures” that could deepen divisions within institutions and hinder career advancement for non-teaching staff. The central issue raised by SSANIP is that the revised scheme allegedly prevents non-teaching employees who hold first degrees from advancing to the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTEDISS) Level 15, which is regarded as equivalent to Grade Level 17 in the public service — a career progression denied under the proposed arrangement. In its report, the union also criticised comments attributed to leadership bodies within the polytechnic system suggesting that rectors and some categories of non-teaching staff should not retire on the same grade levels. SSANIP described such remarks as demeaning, discriminatory, and inconsistent with existing public service rules.
The association’s submission went further, expressing no confidence in the NBTE’s ability to develop an equitable scheme and urging the Education Ministry to review the document objectively to ensure fairness, industrial harmony, and compliance with public service standards. Industry stakeholders note that similar oppositions to the NBTE’s scheme of service have previously been recorded, including from the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), which in earlier years rejected versions of the new service scheme over inadequate stakeholder consultation and perceived discriminatory provisions. As tensions grow over the proposed career structures for polytechnic workers, the outcome of these protests and government response will be crucial in shaping the future of technical and vocational education employment policies across Nigeria.
Citations:
https://www.okaynews.com/polytechnic-workers-reject-new-service-scheme-warn-of-career-stagnation-for-non-teaching-staff/ https://citymirrornews.com/news/2026/21/ssanip-rejects-nbtes-reviewed-polytechnic-schemes-of-service/ https://www.thisdaylive.com/2024/07/07/asup-alleges-plot-to-destroy-polytechnic-education-kicks-against-new-scheme-of-service/
