The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have given the Federal Government a seven-day deadline to resolve long-standing issues affecting non-academic university staff.
In a statement signed by SSANU President, Muhammed Ibrahim, the unions criticized the “unjust disbursement of the earned allowances to staff of universities, non-payment of outstanding allowances, among others.”
Ibrahim recalled that both unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), had earlier written to the government on June 18, 2025, to draw attention to these unresolved disputes.
According to him, the letter led to a meeting between the unions and the Minister of Education on July 4, 2025.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the issues raised in the letter centred on: unjust disbursement of N50bn earned allowances; non-payment of outstanding withheld salaries and 25/35 per cent salary increments; and renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements,” the unions stated
At the July 4 meeting, it was agreed that a Tripartite Committee made up of the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, and the JAC would look into “skewed distribution of the N50 billion earned allowances in which our members in the universities were shortchanged, while those in the Inter-University Centres were completely shut out of the distribution.”
The unions added: “While there was no conclusion at the 4th July, 2025 meeting on the issue of payment of two months’ outstanding withheld salaries owed our members, you pledged to set machinery in motion to expedite action on the issue of arrears of 25/35 per cent salary increments owed our members.”
SSANU and NASU lamented that despite sending a reminder letter on August 18, 2025, nothing has been done.
On the issue of renegotiating the 2009 agreement, the unions said: “It is on record that Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Renegotiation Committee inaugurated on 15th October, 2024 to review the 2009 agreements with the university-based unions only had inaugural meeting with JAC of NASU and SSANU on 10th December, 2024.
“Since then, the Federal Government team has gone into limbo with the non-teaching staff unions, whereas information at our disposal confirmed that the same Federal Government team has already concluded renegotiation with our counterpart, the Academic Staff Union, and at the verge of signing an agreement, while the Federal Government team 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.”
The unions accused the government of failing to act despite repeated reminders.
“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 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 read.
Last week, Ibrahim warned that the unions were prepared to shut down the system if their demands continued to be ignored.
“Ours will not be the ‘mother of all strikes,’ it will be the grandfather of all strikes, because when SSANU or NASU strikes, you know what it means. We must take our destinies in our hands,” he said.
He added that university non-academic staff have been among the worst affected financially and psychologically, and that their working conditions have continued to deteriorate.
KanyiDaily recalls that the ASUU has also been locked in a prolonged struggle with the Federal Government over staff welfare and working conditions.
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