- The Federal Government has invited the leadership of SSANU and NASU to a crucial meeting on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, to prevent a total shutdown of public universities.
- Despite the invitation, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the unions insists their strike ultimatum remains in force until the government withdraws a “unilateral” 30% salary increase offer.
- Unions describe the 30% pay rise announced by Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa as “alien” and a violation of collective bargaining, demanding a deal that matches the 40% increase recently given to academic staff (ASUU).
The Federal Government is moving to avert a major industrial crisis in the education sector as it prepares to face leaders of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) on Wednesday.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the urgent talks follow a breakdown in trust caused by the government’s announcement of a 30 per cent salary increase for non-academic staff, an offer the unions have flatly rejected as insufficient and procedurally flawed.
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The controversy erupted when a letter from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, circulated on social media, purportedly approving the 30 per cent hike for federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The JAC of SSANU and NASU reacted with “shock,” claiming the figure was decided outside the ongoing negotiations led by the Dr. Yayale Ahmed-chaired committee.
The unions argue that enforcing a unilateral pay rise undermines the tradition of collective bargaining and fails to address the parity gap created by the 40 per cent increase granted to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
“We will be there to hear what they have to say, but the truth is that our ultimatum still stands,” a high-placed union source stated on Monday.
In a formal letter to the Minister, union leaders Peters A. Adeyemi and Mohammed Ibrahim demanded the immediate withdrawal of the circulating document, warning that Nigerian university workers will not accept “anything less” than what is agreed upon through the formal negotiation committee.
As the Wednesday deadline approaches, the university system remains on edge.
The unions have signaled that unless the government returns to the table with a transparent and equitable proposal, a nationwide strike is inevitable.
