The purposeful strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has been suspended due to the Federal Government's failure to address its series of demands and concerns.
Additionally, ASUP has given itself six weeks to review the federal government's level of compliance.
ASUP President Shammah Kpanja made an announcement on Sunday that included these and other items.
The decision to postpone the planned walkout, according to the polytechnic lecturers, was predicated on the fact that the education minister has shown good faith in answering some of their demands.
Recall that following its emergency National Executive Council meeting on August 15, 2025, the union provided the federal government with a 21-day ultimatum.
The ultimatum enumerated a number of contentious issues that urgently needed federal assistance.
However, ASUP noted that after a series of organized interactions between the Minister's office and the federal government from the effective date of the ultimatum to the present, NEC met again on October 9, 2025, at her 115th assembly to review the federal government's response and commitment to effectively resolving the issues.
The claim states that NEC took note of the following: the conclusion of the round by the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission, or NSIWC, regarding the Peculiar Academic Allowance; quantifiable progress made in the start of the 2025 cycle of the NEEDS ASSESSMENT intervention for Polytechnics; the resumption of meetings of the Polytechnics Implementation Monitoring Committee (PIMC) and the planned monitoring and analysis actions as a prelude to accessing the 2025 NEEDS ASSESSMENT cycle; the FME's decisive decision to call the Rectors of Federal Polytechnics Nekede and Ekowe to order.
It also stated that the establishment of a dedicated Commission for effective regulation of polytechnics and the need to communicate with the National Assembly about the twin mandate construction issues were both noted by its NEC.
"The Union's NEC also obtained evaluations of the work and advancements being made to influence the release of the 25%/35% wage adjustment arrears, which encompass your entire tertiary education sector and the introduction of promotion arrears owed workers of Polytechnics; and strikes to revive the total governing capabilities of the NBTE by the structure of its board," the statement read.
"The Union's NEC decided to postpone its proposed strike action in light of the above-mentioned progress and the dedication shown by the Honourable Minister of Education and his team."
The suspension was intended to give enough time to effectively address the issues, including the discharge of the 25%/35% salary adjustment arrears, the start of the excellent promotion arrears, and the completion of the ASUP/FGN negotiating process.
Other topics include the National Board for Technical Education's (NBTE) coverage of outsourcing high quality assurance actions and the NBTE board's structure in accordance with current legal guidelines, the reinstatement of the ASUP/FME Rapid Response Committee to address issues including CONTISS 15 migration arrears, and the implementation of regulatory tools to improve the circumstances of state-owned businesses.
Additionally, the Union's NEC decided to review the situation within six (6) weeks of this statement.
It further stated, "The Union is grateful for the dedication and hard work of the Honourable Minister of Education, the Honourable Minister of State, and the other FME officials."
Tags:
Education