The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) has officially rejected the revised Schemes of Service for polytechnics, prepared by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), citing wide disparities that threaten equity and career progression.
The decision was communicated in a minority report presented at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on January 19, 2026, and addressed to the Minister of Education. Signed by SSANIP National President, Comrade Philip Adebanjo Ogunsipe.
The report criticised the schemes for creating sharp divides between teaching and non-teaching staff, particularly at entry levels.
According to Ogunsipe, the proposed structures would prevent non-teaching staff with first degrees from advancing to CONTEDISS 15, equivalent to GL 17, denying them career progression.
He further accused NBTE of disregarding relevant documents from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation during the review process.
The SSANIP President also expressed concern over remarks by the Chairman of the Committee of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology of Nigeria (COHEADS), suggesting that rectors and some non-teaching staff could not retire at the same grade.
Ogunsipe described these comments as “demeaning, elitist, discriminatory, and contrary to public service rules.”
The association has called on the Minister of Education to examine its protest with impartiality, emphasising that considering their position will safeguard equity, industrial harmony, and alignment with established public service norms.
SSANIP also condemned the exclusion of the Office of the Head of Service from preparing and approving the schemes, noting that the agency is legally mandated to perform this role.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over staff welfare and career structures in Nigeria’s polytechnic system, underscoring the need for transparent and inclusive policy-making in higher education.
