The Federal government has authorized career development to CONTISS 15, the highest grade level under the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS), for degree-holding non-teaching personnel in federal universities following the signing of a new agreement with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
The arrangement likewise introduces a necessary evaluation of the conditions of service for university workers every three years, bringing an end to the lengthy hold-up that saw the 2009 arrangement remain without an extensive evaluation for nearly 20 years.
The new pact was signed after months of negotiations in between the Federal Government Re-negotiation Committee, chaired by previous Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, and the SSANU working out group led by its National President, Mohammed Ibrahim.
According to the agreement, the renegotiation forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to revitalise Nigeria’s university system and enhance service shipment throughout tertiary institutions.
The file described that the committee was established to examine existing contracts with personnel unions in public universities and inter-university centres in line with contemporary truths and the evolving requirements of the education sector.
Formal negotiations began on December 10, 2024, at the National Universities Commission headquarters in Abuja, following the inauguration of the committee by the Federal Government on October 15, 2024.
One of the key provisions of the arrangement is the elimination of profession limitations formerly affecting degree-holding non-teaching personnel.
Under the new arrangement, eligible non-teaching staff members in federal universities and inter-university centres will now have the chance to progress to CONTISS 15, attending to among SSANU’s longstanding needs.
The arrangement likewise strengthens the consultation and promo procedure for management positions within non-teaching departments, stating that such visits should strictly abide by the authorized Schemes of Service.
The affected systems consist of scholastic preparation, information and communication innovation centres, physical planning, sports directorates, details and public relations, along with works and upkeep departments.
To prevent future hold-ups in reviewing staff well-being, both parties agreed that the agreement would undergo a thorough evaluation every 3 years in line with the principles of the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 98 on cumulative bargaining. Subsequently, the next review has been arranged for 2029.
The agreement further attends to the ongoing payment of made allowances to SSANU members in accordance with the authorized rates consisted of in the arrangement.
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It likewise retains the existing plan under the 2009 contract, which positions duty for funding both the capital and persistent costs of personnel primary schools in federal universities on the government.
On university governance, the contract supports broader representation of university workers on governing councils and recommends amendments to the Universities Act to accommodate more inclusive participation.
It likewise grants governing councils the authority to establish directorates based upon the particular functional requirements of their particular institutions.
To enhance institutional capacity, the contract motivates universities to maintain sufficient staffing levels in line with regulative standards and worldwide finest practices.
It likewise recognizes staff training and professional development as a concern, recommending that universities prepare annual capacity-building programmes for employees at the beginning of every year.
On financing, both celebrations advocated increased government financial investment in higher education while motivating universities to expand their internally generated earnings through consultancy services, ICT centres, entrepreneurship programmes, research study farms, science labs, libraries and other industrial ventures.
The agreement also commits SSANU to working carefully with governing councils to improve internally created earnings while promoting transparency and responsibility in the management of university resources.
The recently signed contract changes the 2009 Federal Government-SSANU agreement, which remained overdue for renegotiation for several years and regularly featured among the problems that sustained industrial disagreements in Nigeria’s public university system.
Beyond salary-related issues, SSANU had consistently promoted the elimination of the career progression ceiling affecting degree-holding non-teaching staff, arguing that lots of certified workers were not able to attain the terminal grade level regardless of conference promotion requirements.
The finalizing of the contract comes in the middle of renewed calls by the union for the Federal government to fulfil other exceptional labour dedications, consisting of the payment of the two-month wage award and the execution of the 40 per cent strange allowance for federal public servants, which SSANU states are required to sustain industrial peace in the country’s universities.