Strike Looms as SSANU Threatens University Shutdown Over Stalled Talks

FELICIA ONAH, Abuja

Tension is building across Nigeria’s public universities as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has warned of a possible nationwide shutdown if ongoing negotiations with the federal government fail to produce results.

The union said it would embark on an indefinite strike beginning Friday, May 1, 2026, should talks break down, raising fresh concerns over stability in the country’s tertiary education system.

Speaking after a congress held at the University of Lagos on Tuesday, the chairman of the SSANU chapter in the institution, Dr. Yusuf Rasak Ademola, said the union had exhausted all avenues to resolve the issues with the government but had seen little progress.

He noted that members were becoming increasingly frustrated, especially over what they described as persistent neglect of non-teaching staff within the university system.

According to him, the government had been given sufficient time to address their demands, which include payment of outstanding wage awards, two months’ withheld salaries, arrears of a 35 per cent salary increase, earned allowances, and improved funding for universities.

Ademola criticised the federal government’s recent announcement of a 30 per cent increase in the consolidated salary structure, describing it as unacceptable and lacking legitimacy.

He said the adjustment did not emerge from any mutual agreement between the government and the union, insisting it was imposed without consultation.

“We have tried everything possible to make the government do the needful and accede to our demands, but instead, what we got was a unilateral decision that did not reflect any concluded negotiation,” he said.

The SSANU leader argued that the pay adjustment appeared to sidestep the ongoing renegotiation process and undermined the role of the union in determining the welfare of its members.

He added that the decision reinforced a long-standing perception among non-teaching staff that they were treated as inferior within the university workforce.

“It gives the impression that our welfare can be decided without our input, as if we are second-class citizens in the system,” he said.

Despite the hardline position, Ademola said the union remained open to dialogue and was hopeful that a scheduled meeting with government representatives could still avert the strike.

He, however, warned that failure to reach a satisfactory agreement would leave the union with no choice but to proceed with industrial action.

“We are looking forward to the meeting, but if it does not end in an acceptable manner, we will have no option than to go ahead with the strike,” he stated.

The union also expressed concern over what it described as selective attention to the demands of teaching staff, alleging that while some agreements had been reached with academic unions, non-teaching staff had been sidelined.

Ademola questioned the rationale behind what he called unequal treatment within the university system, stressing that all categories of workers play vital roles in the functioning of institutions.

The latest threat comes amid recurring disputes between university unions and the federal government over funding, welfare, and working conditions—issues that have repeatedly disrupted academic calendars in the past.

Students and parents are now watching developments closely, as another strike could further strain an already fragile academic system and delay academic programmes nationwide.

Observers say the outcome of the next round of talks will be critical in determining whether universities remain open or face yet another shutdown.