The Federal Government and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) have sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at averting the planned industrial action by the union.

The MoU was signed after a reconciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, with the representatives of the Federal Government and the leadership of NAAT in attendance.

At the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government, NAAT said it would embark on industrial action to press home its demands.

The outstanding issues include mainstreaming allowances for NAAT members, releasing N50 billion to settle outstanding claims, and completing the renegotiation of the FGN/NAAT 2009 agreement.

Others are the implementation of the consequential adjustment of the new national minimum wage, payment of three and a half months’ withheld salaries and release of third-party deductions of the two months of withheld salaries, as well as payment of seven and 11 months’ arrears of occupational hazard and responsibility allowances.

According to the agreement, the meeting resolved to set up a technical committee to address the issue of the mainstreaming of allowances of NAAT members, including field trips, student technologist staff ratio supplementation, Student Work Experience Programme (SWEP) and call-duty allowances.

The committee, comprising the Budget Office of the Federation (Budget Manager and Director, Funds), Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, two representatives each from NAAT, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) as well as Federal Ministry of Education, has two weeks to submit its report.

The meeting also directed the same committee to handle both the payment of three and a half months’ withheld salaries, the release of third-party deductions of the two-month withheld salaries paid and the payment of seven and 11 months’ arrears of occupational hazard and responsibility allowances.

The payment of arrears of 30,000 minimum wage to omitted members of NAAT implemented in 2019, which NUC was also asked to revisit for possible resolution and payment of one year arrears of 35 per cent and 25 per cent salary increment were also referred to the committee that is handling the mainstreaming of allowances.

Regarding the release of the N50 billion to settle outstanding claims of earned allowances of NAAT members, the meeting asked the Federal Ministry of Labour to follow up with the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure possible supplementary payment to NAAT members.

The meeting also mandated the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to follow up with the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure early completion of the protracted FGN/NAAT 2009 agreement renegotiation exercise.

The meeting noted that the consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage has been implemented as negotiated by the Joint Public Negotiating Council.

Regarding the release of enabling circular for career progression to CONTISS 14 and 15 for Academic Technologists, the meeting directed the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to write to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to expedite action on it.

On the non-recognition of NEC-approved NAAT, NAU Branch leadership against an illegal Exco whose tenure has elapsed by the management of Nnamdi Azikwe University (NAU), Awka, and non-remittance of seven months (November 2024 – May 2025) check-off dues to NAAT national headquarters by the branch, the meeting mandated the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to write to the management of NAU to look into the matter and report back to the Ministry within one week.

Given the agreements reached, the meeting agreed that another conciliation meeting would be held in three weeks to review the situation and consider the report of the committee.

Signatories to the MoU on the government side included Harry Ogugua, Acting Head of Industrial and Labour Relations Division of the Labour Ministry; Emmanuel Onung signed on behalf of the NUC , while Ibeji Nwokoma, President of NAAT and Abubakar Yusuf, the General Secretary of NAAT, signed on behalf of the union.