ASUP to Meet NBTE Over Proposed Plan to Reclassify Lecturers

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has announced that it will hold talks with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) over a reported directive to reclassify polytechnic lecturers without master’s degrees as non-academic staff.

The union’s National President, Shammah Kpanja, disclosed this in Abuja on Saturday while reacting to a circular allegedly issued by the NBTE.

According to reports, the NBTE’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, had signed a directive dated September 10, addressed to rectors and provosts of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. The circular stated that any academic staff member without a master’s degree after five years of employment would be converted to non-teaching staff.

Prof. Bugaje expressed concern that many degree and Higher National Diploma holders employed as lecturers had failed to upgrade their qualifications, despite the regulatory board granting a five-year moratorium for the acquisition of a master’s degree.

“This directive is aimed at improving teaching standards in polytechnics and other TVET institutions in line with global best practices,” the circular reportedly stated.

ASUP Questions Authenticity of Circular

Reacting, Kpanja said the union had just seen the circular and was still verifying its authenticity.

“We just saw the circular like everyone else. Normally, NBTE letters carry a QR code. When we tried to verify this one, we discovered that it may not have originated from NBTE,” he explained.

He added that, regardless of its source, ASUP would convene to take a clear position on the matter.

“There are established schemes of service that define conditions for employment, promotion, and career progression of academic staff. While we encourage productivity and academic growth through higher qualifications, any directive must align with these schemes,” Kpanja said.

NBTE’s Previous Directives

This development comes shortly after NBTE issued another directive giving principal lecturers in polytechnics a three-year deadline to obtain doctoral degrees. The board had explained that the policy was consistent with the national scheme of service and had been approved by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

The unfolding situation has raised concerns among polytechnic lecturers, as unions and stakeholders await clarification from NBTE on the authenticity and implementation of the latest directive.