Nigerian House of Reps Plans Removal of Universities, Polytechnics from IPPIS

The Nigerian House of Representatives has initiated plans to eliminate public tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). This strategic move is aimed at enhancing the welfare of lecturers and curbing the prevalent brain drain affecting public tertiary institutions.

At the recent Third International Conference of the Gender Policy Unit held at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas conveyed the Assembly’s unwavering commitment to supporting academic interests. Represented by Abubakar Fulata, the head of the House Committee on Education, the Speaker emphasized their determination to ensure the removal of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education from the IPPIS.

Abbas expressed distress over the state of the education system, citing instances where a professor’s take-home pay after taxes was less than N450,000, a compensation the educational sector deems disrespectful. The IPPIS, introduced by the Nigerian government in October 2006 for streamlined personnel records and accountability, currently incorporates 696 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

However, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) opposed the involvement of public university lecturers in the IPPIS and introduced the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a more fitting alternative.

UTAS, championed by lecturers, accommodates the distinctive aspects of university employment, including sabbatical leave, adjunct engagements, part-time commitments, and contractual obligations. IPPIS has faced criticism for alleged irregularities and discrepancies, leading to calls for an alternative system within the academic realm.