The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) has once again raised its voice in frustration, issuing a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over unpaid arrears, delayed promotions, and stalled reforms. The decision, taken at the union’s 77th General Executive Council meeting in Kano, is not just another round of labour agitation. It is a sobering reminder of how Nigeria continues to undermine the very institutions that hold the key to its industrial and technological future.
For decades, polytechnics have been treated as second-class citizens in the education sector, overshadowed by universities in policy attention, funding, and prestige. Yet, in every serious economy, technical and vocational education forms the backbone of industrial growth. Nigeria cannot talk about economic diversification, manufacturing, and innovation while starving its polytechnics of resources and neglecting the welfare of their staff.
SSANIP’s demands are neither frivolous nor new. From the release of the new Scheme and Conditions of Service, to the constitution of a renegotiation committee for the 2010 Agreement, to the payment of arrears and the release of Needs Assessment funds—these are commitments government has made before, but repeatedly failed to honour. The patience of workers has run out, and their threatened strike could throw the entire system into another cycle of disruption.
The implications go far beyond staff welfare. Every strike or underfunded programme in polytechnics translates into half-baked graduates, outdated curricula, and skills gaps that leave Nigerian industries dependent on expatriates or struggling to compete globally. While other nations are scaling up technical education to drive innovation, Nigeria risks crippling the very sector designed to supply its skilled workforce.
The Federal Government must, therefore, see this ultimatum as more than a labour dispute. It is an alarm bell about the future of Nigeria’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system. Meeting SSANIP’s demands is not just about paying arrears; it is about rebuilding trust, restoring dignity to polytechnic education, and repositioning it as a driver of national development.
Nigeria’s dreams of industrialization and job creation will remain illusions if polytechnic staff continue to teach under duress, students continue to learn in outdated environments, and agreements continue to gather dust. The government can either act decisively now—or watch the countdown of SSANIP’s ultimatum merge with the countdown of Nigeria’s vocational collapse.
– Moses Salami writes from Kogi state.
