SSANU, NASU Threaten Nationwide Strike, Demand Salary Arrears

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have issued a seven-day ultimatum, threatening a nationwide shutdown of universities.

In a joint statement, the unions accused the government of “unjust disbursement” of N50 billion earned allowances and failing to pay withheld salaries, as well as delaying the implementation of the approved 25/35 percent salary increment. They further demanded the urgent renegotiation of the 2009 Federal Government–NASU/SSANU agreement, describing the neglect of these issues as unacceptable.

The unions recalled that their earlier letter to the Ministry of Education had prompted a meeting with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU on July 4, 2025. Despite this engagement, they said the government has failed to act meaningfully on their concerns.

“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 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 unions warned.

They stressed that the ultimatum represents their last attempt at dialogue before resorting to strikes, which could cripple both academic and administrative operations across Nigerian universities.