The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have commenced an indefinite strike, paralyzing activities across Nigeria’s public universities until their four months of withheld salary arrears are paid. SSANU’s president, Mohammed Ibrahim, emphasized that the unions will not call off the industrial action without receiving full payment, dismissing mere assurances from government officials.
“The mandate we have from our members is clear: this strike will continue indefinitely until we receive payment alerts,” Ibrahim stated, stressing the unions’ refusal to accept promises in place of action. The strike, which began on Monday, has halted academic and administrative functions across campuses nationwide, impacting students, faculty, and university facilities.
This deadlock stems from longstanding grievances, with SSANU and NASU initially staging a seven-day warning strike in March 2024 over unpaid salaries. Despite directives from President Bola Tinubu in October 2023, which released partial withheld wages for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), non-academic staff unions assert they have been left in limbo, intensifying calls for equity in government treatment.
President Tinubu’s approval covered only four out of eight months of salaries withheld during an eight-month strike in 2022. However, while ASUU received partial payments, SSANU and NASU members remain unpaid for their months of work, with no apparent end to their ongoing strike until this is resolved.
Senate Committee Chairman on Tertiary Institutions, Senator Dandutse Mohammed, has called for immediate dialogue between the unions and the government to avoid further academic disruptions, urging both sides to consider a peaceful resolution for the benefit of the academic community and national stability.
