The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over unresolved welfare concerns, warning of a nationwide strike if their demands are not addressed.
In a joint letter signed by SSANU President, Muhammed Ibrahim, the unions condemned the “unjust disbursement of the earned allowances to staff of universities, non-payment of outstanding allowances, among others.”
Ibrahim recalled that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU had earlier written to the government on June 18, 2025, highlighting unresolved labour matters. That letter, he noted, prompted a meeting with the Minister of Education on July 4, 2025.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the issues raised in the letter centred on: unjust disbursement of N50bn earned allowances; non-payment of outstanding withheld salaries and 25/35 per cent salary increments; and renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements,” the unions stated.
At that meeting, a resolution was reached to form a Tripartite Committee involving the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, and JAC to review the “skewed distribution of the N50 billion earned allowances in which our members in the universities were shortchanged, while those in the Inter-University Centres were completely shut out of the distribution.”
The unions added: “While there was no conclusion at the 4th July, 2025 meeting on the issue of payment of two months’ outstanding withheld salaries owed our members, you pledged to set machinery in motion to expedite action on the issue of arrears of 25/35 per cent salary increments owed our members.”
Despite a reminder letter dated August 18, 2025, the unions lamented that no progress had been made.
On the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, they said: “It is on record that Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Renegotiation Committee inaugurated on 15th October, 2024 to review the 2009 agreements with the university-based unions only had inaugural meeting with JAC of NASU and SSANU on 10th December, 2024. Since then, the Federal Government team has gone into limbo with the non-teaching staff unions, whereas information at our disposal confirmed that the same Federal Government team has already concluded renegotiation with our counterpart, the Academic Staff Union, and at the verge of signing an agreement, while the Federal Government team has refused to engage the non-teaching staff unions and even sidelined us despite fulfilling all justifications including re-submission of our Memoranda of Demands.”
Frustrated by government inaction, the unions declared: “In light of the persistent unresolved issues, and the apparent lack of responsiveness from the government to our legitimate concerns, we are compelled to serve a formal notice of seven days effective from Monday, 15th September, 2025 to address our agitations, failing which members of NASU and SSANU would embark on a series of legitimate industrial actions including strikes to press home our demands.”
Last week, Ibrahim had warned of the scale of the action, saying: “Ours will not be the ‘mother of all strikes,’ it will be the grandfather of all strikes, because when SSANU or NASU strikes, you know what it means. We must take our destinies in our hands.”
He also lamented the worsening conditions of workers: “The conditions of service of university workers are the worst hit financially, economically and psychologically.”
Like the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), both SSANU and NASU have had longstanding disputes with the government over welfare, funding, and conditions of service.