SSANU, NASU threaten strike over withheld allowances
SSANU, NASU threaten strike over withheld allowances
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) have issued the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum over unresolved welfare demands, warning of a possible nationwide strike.
In a joint statement signed by SSANU President, Muhammed Ibrahim, the unions condemned the “unfair allocation of earned allowances to university staff, non-payment of outstanding entitlements, among other issues.”
Ibrahim recalled that the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU had, in a letter dated June 18, 2025, highlighted lingering labour concerns, which prompted a meeting with the Minister on July 4, 2025.
“For clarity,” the unions stressed, “our demands include the inequitable distribution of the N50bn earned allowances, non-payment of withheld salaries and the 25/35 per cent wage increase, as well as the long-overdue renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements.”
They recalled that at the July 4 meeting, a resolution was reached to set up a Tripartite Committee of the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission and JAC to address the “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.”
They further lamented that despite a reminder letter dated August 18, 2025, nothing had been done.
On the stalled renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, the unions stated: “It is on record that the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Renegotiation Committee, inaugurated on October 15, 2024, to review the 2009 agreements with university-based unions, only held its inaugural meeting with the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU on December 10, 2024. Since then, the Federal Government team has abandoned engagement with the non-teaching staff unions. Meanwhile, information available to us indicates that the same team has concluded renegotiations with our counterpart, the Academic Staff Union, and is on the verge of signing an agreement, while deliberately sidelining us despite our compliance with all requirements, including re-submitting our Memoranda of Demands.”
The unions accused the government of neglecting the matter despite repeated reminders.
“In view of the persistent unresolved issues and the government’s apparent indifference to our legitimate demands, we are left with no choice but to serve a seven-day notice, effective Monday, September 15, 2025. Should the issues remain unaddressed, NASU and SSANU members will embark on lawful industrial actions, including strikes, to press home our demands,” the letter warned.
Just last week, SSANU President Ibrahim cautioned that the looming action could be crippling if the government failed to respond.
“Ours will not be the ‘mother of all strikes’; it will be the ‘grandfather of all strikes,’ because when SSANU or NASU down tools, the system grinds to a halt. We must take our destinies into our own hands,” he declared.
He further lamented the worsening plight of workers, noting: “University workers are the most battered financially, economically, and psychologically.”
Like the Academic Staff Union of Universities, both SSANU and NASU have long been at odds with the Federal Government over welfare and conditions of service.
