The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics has rejected the revised schemes of service prepared for polytechnics by the National Board for Technical Education, citing discrimination and restricted career progression for non-teaching staff.
The union said its rejection was conveyed through a minority report submitted to the Minister of Education, Dr Moruf Alausa, following a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the NBTE in Abuja.
SSANIP National President, Philip Ogunsipe, disclosed the decision in a statement released on Thursday, January 22, 2026, stating that the revised scheme introduces unequal entry conditions for teaching and non-teaching staff.
According to the association, the proposed framework would hinder career advancement for non-teaching staff by preventing officers with first degrees from progressing to CONTEDISS 15, which is equivalent to Grade Level 17.
The union said the restriction would impose a career ceiling on affected staff regardless of their qualifications or years of service, describing the scheme as demeaning and elitist.
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SSANIP also opposed a recommendation in the revised document seeking to remove the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation from the approval process, insisting that the office is critical to ensuring compliance with public service regulations.
The association said its submissions were largely ignored during the review process, a development it said justified a vote of no confidence in the NBTE’s handling of the exercise.
It called on the Federal Ministry of Education to suspend approval of the revised scheme and ensure that any final document guarantees fairness, equity and clear career progression for all categories of polytechnic staff.