The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has stated that the strike by both SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) will continue until their demands are fulfilled.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) began an indefinite strike on Monday over four months of unpaid salary arrears. Despite appeals to end the strike, SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim remains firm, stating that only the payment of arrears—not meetings or assurances—will lead to a suspension of the industrial action.
“We want payment. All necessary procedures have been followed, and a directive for this payment could resolve the strike within 24 hours,” Ibrahim said on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He added that previous assurances from politicians and government officials had fallen through, making the union determined to wait for bank alerts before resuming work.
The strike has brought public universities across Nigeria to a standstill, with classes and campus facilities shut. Earlier this year, SSANU and NASU staged a seven-day warning strike over similar payment issues. President Bola Tinubu subsequently directed payment of withheld salaries for 2022 strikes, during which the unions had protested for improved welfare. While Tinubu’s administration approved partial salary releases for ASUU members, SSANU and NASU assert the government has yet to fully honor its promises.
Senator Dandutse Mohammed, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions, criticized the strike as “unnecessary” and urged for dialogue with the Federal Government to prevent further disruption and hardship. He called for a peaceful resolution as a more responsible approach.
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