By Bukola Afolabi
In a decisive move to address withheld salaries, members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have initiated an indefinite, nationwide strike. This action, taking place across public universities, is aimed at pressuring the government to release four months’ unpaid salaries.
Despite prior ultimatums to the government, there has been no tangible response to resolve this issue, according to a statement co-signed on Sunday by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi. The unions directed all non-academic staff to convene in a joint congress at each campus on Monday, October 28, 2024, and to proceed with an indefinite strike without concessions.
The roots of the issue trace back to an eight-month strike in 2022, in which both academic and non-academic staff pressed for improved working conditions. Following the strike, the government implemented a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy, cutting off pay to all union members. However, in a later decision, President Bola Tinubu approved payment of backlogged salaries for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), while non-academic staff—represented by SSANU and NASU—were excluded, a decision the unions deem discriminatory.
Since September 2023, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU had repeatedly urged the government to address the withheld payments, issuing a three-week ultimatum in September, yet no progress was made. Past efforts by the unions included protests and warning strikes, which effectively shut down university operations, including administrative work, hostel management, and security services, creating logistical challenges for students and university staff alike.
Former Education Minister Tahir Mamman, responding to concerns in April, attributed the pay disparity to a “communication problem,” insisting there was no intent to discriminate against non-academic staff. Yet, NASU and SSANU maintain that their exclusion from full salary compensation reflects unfair treatment, pushing them to pursue this strike as a last resort.
With this indefinite strike underway, the unions hope for swift government action to address the grievances of all non-academic staff across Nigeria’s public universities.
