The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has renewed its call for the federal government to release the remaining three months of withheld salaries owed to non-teaching university staff. This call comes ahead of SSANU’s third quadrennial delegates conference, set for November 13, where members will discuss unresolved labor issues, including the N50 billion in earned allowances that have yet to be disbursed.
SSANU, along with the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), initiated an indefinite nationwide strike on October 28 over salary arrears from 2022. Although a partial payment of one month’s arrears was released on November 2, union leaders assert that substantial arrears and benefits are still outstanding. The unions briefly suspended the strike on November 5 following the release, yet SSANU’s national president, Mohammed Ibrahim, emphasized that significant issues remain unresolved.
“The disregard for these agreements undermines trust and disrupts the academic environment,” Ibrahim said, underscoring the need for integrity in government-union agreements to foster a sustainable educational system. He outlined specific demands, which include not only the remaining three months of withheld salaries but also ₦50 billion in earned allowances, arrears from a 25/35 percent increment, and wage awards promised to non-teaching staff.
The upcoming conference, themed “Respecting Collective Bargaining Agreements and Industrial Peace in a Democracy,” will serve as a platform for SSANU members to address ongoing negotiations with the federal government and prepare for upcoming elections to select the union’s new leadership.
SSANU and NASU are hopeful that the federal government’s recent payment is a step toward resolving the financial impasse. However, union representatives assert that their members deserve full compensation for their services and will continue to press for compliance with previously agreed terms.
