The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has urged the Federal Government to establish a National Commission for Polytechnics, saying the move is crucial to strengthening quality assurance across the polytechnic sector.
ASUP National President, Comrade Shammah Kpanja, said, unlike universities and colleges of education, which are overseen by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) respectively, “the polytechnics are the only tertiary sector without a dedicated commission.”
According to him, the current arrangement, where the National Board for Technical Education supervises polytechnics alongside sub-tertiary institutions, is inadequate.
“As a union, we are insisting that there should be a dedicated commission to regulate quality assurance in the polytechnics. What is happening now is that we are put into a board that regulates sub-tertiary institutions like technical colleges and vocational institutions, and NBTE handles all of them together,” he said.
Kpanja added that the workload placed on NBTE was overwhelming, stressing, “These are too much for one Commission to handle, and we are concerned about this.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Kpanja spoke during the official opening of the 18th National Delegates Conference of ASUP held in Jos, Plateau State.
The ASUP president noted that the polytechnic system has expanded significantly over the years, driven by manpower growth and interventions from TETFund.
Kpanja reiterated the union’s push for polytechnics to run dual-mode programmes, National Diploma (ND) and Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech).
“One of our agitations is that Polytechnics should be allowed to mount ‘dual mode’, that is, ND and B.Tech, so that after graduation, you can migrate to B.Tech,” he said.
He condemned the long-standing discrimination against Higher National Diploma (HND) holders, describing it as detrimental to national development.
“Look at our products; the maximum number of years they spend before obtaining their certificate is five years… But despite that, they do not go beyond a particular level in public service. They are discriminated against, they are dehumanised, and they are placed in cadres not even the same as their university counterparts. This has to affect you, it has to affect the system,” he added.
Kpanja criticised the trend of converting polytechnics into universities, describing it as a sign of the government’s lack of clear vision for technical education.
“This clearly shows that the Federal Government has no focused position on technical education… With adequate funding, we have the capacity to train people to use their hands, acquire skills, become self-employed and employers of labour,” he said.
The ASUP leader also lamented the outdated salary structure in some polytechnics, noting that the Consolidated Polytechnic Academic Salary Structure (CONPCASS) was last reviewed in 2010.
“From 2010 to now, the consumer price index, the purchasing power, the inflation ratio, what our members have been receiving cannot solve their daily needs. Chief Lecturers cannot even fuel their vehicles to go to work,” he said.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, represented by his deputy, Ngo Josephine Piyo, urged labour leaders to embrace modern management skills and ethical leadership.
“Let this conference not only produce resolutions, but also produce visionaries who will lead this country into the future of work,” she said.
Naijaonpoint reports that the ASUP 18th National Delegates Conference, themed “Migrating from Trade Unionism to Management: Harnessing the Benefits in Role Changes for the Next Phase of the Struggle,” is scheduled to be held from December 10 to 12, 2025.
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