The leadership of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has accused the federal government of promoting discrimination and lopsidedness in the sharing of allocations meant for varsity workers.
NAAT specifically warned the government to desist from plans to relegate academic technologists which they said can cripple the backbone of teaching, research and innovations in the universities.
President of NAAT, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, handed down this warning in Abuja on Wednesday while addressing journalists shortly after the emergency National Executive Council meeting of the association.
Daily Trust reports that the warning by the association’s NEC came on the heels of the recently released N50bn Earned Allowance by the federal government which is to be shared among the four unions in the universities.
The association said it would not accept the sharing formula proposed by the government which is: 80% to members of ASUU and 20% to members of NAAT, NASU and SSANU.
Nwokoma said the plan of relegating NAAT, which has the custodian of laboratories, workshops, farms and studios, would bring dire consequences of producing unemployable graduates due to lack of needed skills that they could have acquired.
He said, “Arising from an emergency virtual meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) held on Wednesday 21st May, 2025. NEC in-session deliberated on some national issues as well as welfare of our members and resolved as follows:
“The NEC of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) outrightly rejects the unfair and unjust sharing formula adopted by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and National Universities Commission (NUC) of 80% to members of ASUU and 20% to members of NAAT, NASU and SSANU.
“NAAT as a critical stakeholder in the university education sub-sector could not understand the wisdom and parameters employed to arrive at such an obnoxious decision where a public officer entrusted with the welfare of staff under his ministry and indeed all Nigerians could endorse such a decision irrespective of the effects such actions could generate.
“The practice where public officers promote uneven and lopsided allocation of funds meant for payment of Earned Allowances to all categories of university staff leaves much to be desired.
“NAAT condemns such actions in its entirety and calls for its immediate reversal in the interest of industrial peace and harmonious working relationship between various stakeholders in the system.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the university system is anchored on contributions by several stakeholders. The role of academic technologists is in the area of promoting teaching and research which is the core mandate of every university.
“Therefore, the plan to relegate academic technologists would also cripple the backbone of teaching, research and innovations in our universities and attendant consequences of producing unemployable graduates due to lack of needed skills that they could have acquired in the laboratories, workshops, farms and studios under the guidance and mentorship of academic technologists thereby defeating the recently introduced federal government policy of engaging students in more practical and less theory.
“Furthermore, NAAT demands for an immediate commencement of processes by the FME for the release of a separate N50bn to take care of Earned Allowances of NAAT members as contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of 17th August, 2022 signed between Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and NAAT since the FME decided to allocate the recently released funds to ASUU members.
“The action of the Honourable Minister of Education and the Executive Secretary of NUC reminds one of the eras of apartheid where discrimination was the order of the day.”
