The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have issued a stern warning to the federal government, threatening to shut down all public universities from September 22 if their long-standing demands are not addressed.
The ultimatum was contained in a letter jointly signed by NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters A. Adeyemi, and SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, under the umbrella of their Joint Action Committee (JAC). The 7-day notice, which took effect on September 15, was addressed to the Minister of Education.
According to the unions, the strike threat stems from unresolved issues such as the non-renegotiation of the 2009 FGN Agreements, the exclusion of inter-university centres from the disbursement of the ₦50 billion earned allowances, and the non-payment of two months’ withheld salaries. They also decried delays in implementing the 25/35% salary increment promised to their members.
The unions recalled that after an initial letter dated June 18, 2025, the Minister convened a meeting with JAC on July 4, 2025, where it was agreed that a tripartite committee—comprising the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, and JAC—would resolve the dispute. However, SSANU and NASU lamented that no concrete action had followed.
“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 (7) days… failing which members of NASU and SSANU would embark on a series of legitimate industrial actions, including strikes, to press home our demands,” the unions declared.
They accused the Ministry of Education of treating non-teaching staff unions with levity and warned that their patience had run out.
If the strike proceeds, it could paralyze non-academic operations in public universities nationwide, compounding the already fragile state of Nigeria’s education sector.
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