SSANU, NASU Extend Strike Ultimatum by Two Weeks

The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) has extended its strike ultimatum to the Federal Government by two weeks.

The unions had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum over unresolved welfare concerns, warning of an impending nationwide industrial action. In a statement signed by SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim, they decried what they described as “unjust disbursement of earned allowances” and the “non-payment of outstanding entitlements.”

Ibrahim recalled that the unions had, in a letter dated June 18, 2025, raised the issues with the government, prompting a meeting with the Minister of Education on July 4. However, the unions said no concrete resolutions were reached.

In a fresh communication to their chapters nationwide, SSANU and NASU explained that the decision to extend the ultimatum followed another meeting held on September 19 with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan. That meeting, attended by officials from the National Universities Commission and the Ministries of Education and Labour, focused on the unions’ demands but ended without firm commitments.

“The government, on receiving our ultimatum, constituted a joint consultative committee to look into our agitations. The meeting deliberated on our demands, but concrete resolutions of our requests have not been met,” the unions said.

They added that the two-week extension, effective from Tuesday, provides the government with another window to meet their demands.

“If the government fails to do the needful within this extended period, the JAC will summarily proceed with a series of legitimate industrial actions,” the unions warned.

The dispute adds to ongoing tensions between the Federal Government and university-based unions, with concerns that further disruptions could affect academic stability across the country.