University Staff Extend Strike Ultimatum by Two Weeks

The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) has extended its strike ultimatum to the Federal Government by two weeks.

Both unions had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum over unresolved welfare issues, warning of a possible nationwide strike if their demands were ignored.

In a joint letter signed by SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim, the unions condemned what they described as the unjust disbursement of earned allowances to university staff, the non-payment of outstanding allowances and other unresolved benefits.

Ibrahim recalled that the Joint Action Committee had, in a letter dated June 18, 2025, drawn the government’s attention to these labour concerns. That correspondence led to a meeting with the Minister of Education on July 4, 2025.

In a fresh update to union chapters nationwide on Tuesday, the leadership said the decision to extend the ultimatum followed another meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan, on September 19, 2025.

“The leadership of JAC of NASU and SSANU, arising from a meeting held on Monday, 22nd September 2025, decided to update members on the current status of our agitations forwarded for resolution to the Federal Government” the letter stated.

The unions noted that the Federal Government had set up a joint consultative committee to review their demands. The committee, chaired by Enitan, also included the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, the Director of Tertiary Education, the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, and other senior officials from the Ministries of Education and Labour.

The letter explained that while deliberations on the unions’ demands had taken place, no concrete resolutions had been reached.

“In view of this, the JAC of NASU and SSANU has resolved to extend the ultimatum by an additional two weeks, effective today. This extension provides the government with an opportunity to initiate the requisite processes to address our demands” it read.

The unions warned that failure to meet their demands within the extended window would leave them with no choice but to embark on a series of nationwide industrial actions.

“If the government fails to do the needful within this extended period, the JAC will summarily proceed with legitimate industrial actions upon expiration of the extension” the statement concluded.