Strike: NASU, SSANU issue 7-day ultimatum to FG, to embark on strike September 22 if…
University non-teaching staff under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have declared plans to embark on strike from September 22 if the Federal Government fails to resolve lingering labour issues.
The unions, in a formal notice to the Minister of Education, accused government of neglecting their plight despite repeated reminders and engagements. They argued that unresolved matters affecting their welfare had dragged on for too long without concrete action.
Key among their grievances are the skewed disbursement of N50 billion earned allowances, non-payment of withheld salaries, the failure to implement the 25/35 percent salary increments, and delays in renegotiating the 2009 FGN/NASU-SSANU agreements.
The workers stressed that government’s failure to act on these issues reflects discrimination against non-teaching staff in universities and inter-university centres, a situation they warned could no longer be tolerated.
“Despite our repeated efforts to draw your attention to address concerns affecting our members in the Universities and Inter-University Centres, there appears to be nothing positive forthcoming from your office,” the JAC wrote.
According to the letter, a July 4, 2025 meeting with the Minister had agreed to set up a Tripartite Committee involving the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), and JAC to address the skewed distribution of allowances.
However, NASU and SSANU said the arrangement has not yielded any results, leaving their members in universities “shortchanged” and those in inter-university centres “completely shut out.”
On withheld salaries and arrears, the unions reminded the Minister that although he pledged to “set machinery in motion to expedite action on the issue of payment of arrears of 25/35% salary increments owed our members,” nothing has been done months after.
The letter also expressed anger over what the unions termed government’s discriminatory approach to negotiations. They recalled that while the same federal team had concluded talks with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), it 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.”
JAC lamented that the Renegotiation Committee led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, inaugurated in October 2024, only held one meeting with NASU and SSANU on December 10, 2024, before going into “limbo.” “Regrettably, we are yet to see progress,” the unions said.
The workers accused the Ministry of Education of either deliberate silence or outright neglect, noting that a follow-up letter sent on August 18, 2025, was also ignored.
The unions therefore issued a seven-day ultimatum effective from September 15, warning that if the government fails to address their demands within the timeframe, members of NASU and SSANU across universities and inter-university centres will commence strike action from September 22 to press home their agitations.
“We are compelled to serve a formal notice of seven (7) 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,” the letter concluded.
