By Nkechi Eze
The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) and heads of Federal Colleges of Agriculture across the country have thrown their weight behind the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) in its move to review the disbursement of College of Agriculture Tertiary Education (CATA) funds and exit the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The Executive Secretary of ARCN, Dr Abubakar Adamu Dabban, disclosed the council’s support when he received the national leadership of ASUCA, stressing that the proposed reforms were important to improving the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the institutions and the management of their human resources.
According to an official statement signed by Khadijat O. Ameen, PRO to the Executive Secretary, ARCN, Dabban said Federal Colleges of Agriculture occupy a strategic position in Nigeria’s agricultural development architecture, contributing not only to manpower development but also to research, innovation, extension, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and practical solutions to challenges in the agricultural sector.
He said the engagement was significant because personnel and payroll administration directly affects the ability of the institutions to function effectively.
“Today’s engagement is particularly significant because it concerns an area that directly affects the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of our institutions—the management of our most valuable resource: our human capital,” he said.
Dabban assured the union of the council’s support, saying any transition from the existing personnel and payroll framework must be conducted responsibly and in a manner that protects the interests of the Federal Government, the institutions and staff.
He said the proposed exit from IPPIS should not be viewed merely as a change of payroll platform but as an opportunity to strengthen personnel administration and establish a system that responds better to the peculiar requirements of agricultural education, training and related institutional activities.
“The proposed transition from IPPIS should be understood within this broader objective. It is not simply an administrative exercise or a change in payroll platform. Rather, it presents an opportunity to strengthen personnel administration, improve institutional efficiency and establish a system that better responds to the specific requirements of agricultural education, training and related institutional activities, while maintaining the principles of transparency, accountability and compliance with government regulations,” Dabban said.
The ARCN Executive Secretary, however, stressed that greater flexibility in personnel management must be matched by stronger accountability, financial discipline and transparency.
He warned that the transition must not create room for payroll irregularities, duplication of personnel, ghost workers, unauthorised payments or financial leakages.
Instead, he advocated accurate and regularly updated staff records, comprehensive personnel verification, effective internal controls, proper authorisation procedures, periodic audits and robust digital monitoring mechanisms.
Also supporting the ASUCA position, the President of the National Committee of Heads of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines (NACHCARD), Dr Chukwu O. O. Chukwu, said the committee would support the union in every possible way to improve staff welfare and service delivery.
Chukwu, who was represented by the Secretary of the committee, Dr Jude Ejike, said the support was aimed at enhancing manpower planning, facilitating the timely replacement of critical personnel, improving staff deployment and strengthening institutional productivity.
Earlier, the National President of ASUCA, Comrade Dr Kadurumba Chukwuemeka, had sought the support of the ARCN and other stakeholders for the union’s position, saying the proposed reforms would further boost the morale of lecturers in the colleges.
He noted that Federal Colleges of Agriculture have unique staffing structures and operational requirements involving academic staff, technologists, instructors, extension specialists, farm managers, administrative personnel, technicians and other technical and support staff.
According to him, the responsibilities of these personnel are closely linked to practical agricultural training, research, extension services and institutional production activities, making a personnel management system that reflects their peculiarities necessary.
Dabban also stressed the need for close collaboration among the ARCN, Federal Colleges of Agriculture, relevant ministries, departments and agencies, as well as government institutions responsible for public service administration, budgeting, finance, personnel and payroll management.
He said such collaboration would be critical to ensuring a smooth and properly coordinated transition that minimises disruption to salary administration and institutional operations while establishing a sustainable framework for effective human-resource management.
