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Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have initiated an indefinite, nationwide strike across public university campuses to demand payment of their four months’ withheld salaries.
In a joint statement released Sunday, SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi expressed frustration, condemning the government’s repeated inaction despite multiple ultimatums. The unions instructed all members in public universities and inter-university centers to “hold a joint congress on Monday, October 28, 2024, and commence an indefinite, comprehensive strike with no concessions.”
On September 17, 2023, SSANU and NASU had issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the release of outstanding salaries or facing potential industrial action. Previously, the unions organized protests and warning strikes to address eight months of withheld salaries, during which administrative activities were disrupted as non-academic staff locked campus gates, shut down hostels, and cut off electricity.
The unions criticized the Federal Government for paying withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting non-academic unions. In 2022, all university unions went on an eight-month strike demanding improved welfare, which led to the government’s invocation of a “No Work, No Pay” policy. However, President Bola Tinubu approved the release of withheld salaries for ASUU members in October, while non-academic staff were excluded.
Former Education Minister Tahir Mamman, in April, attributed the delay to a “communication problem,” insisting there was no intentional discrimination.
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