…Union issues FG 14 – day strike notice
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU), has issued the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to fully implement the 2026 agreement with the union and pay outstanding salary arrears, threatening an indefinite strike if the demands are not met.
The union said it would embark on a “total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action” without further notice at the expiration of the ultimatum.
The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of SSANU’s 56th National Executive Council in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and signed by the union’s National President, Mohammed Ibrahim.
SSANU said the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement, which took effect on January 1, 2026, had commenced in some universities following its formal signing on June 29 but remained incomplete and uneven across the university system.
It demanded the immediate release and payment of all outstanding arrears arising from the 2026 CONTTA salary structure, calculated from the effective date.
The union said some universities had implemented the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions’ Salary Structure (CONTTA) largely through internally generated funds without direct cash backing from the Federal Government.
It urged Vice-Chancellors and governing councils of institutions yet to implement the agreement to follow the example of universities that had taken steps to do so.
SSANU also demanded payment of the remaining two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial action, as well as one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases.
It said the outstanding payments were legitimate entitlements and should no longer be delayed, adding that its members had “waited sufficiently” for the benefits of an agreement already concluded.
On state-owned universities, SSANU expressed concern over uneven implementation of the agreement and called on state governments and governing councils to provide the funds required for full and equitable implementation.
It warned that staff of state universities must not be treated as lesser partners in the Nigerian university system.
The union also called for increased funding of universities, particularly for electricity, laboratories, workshops, libraries, ICT facilities, security systems and maintenance.
It opposed the planned adoption of online or virtual accreditation as a substitute for physical accreditation, arguing that direct verification of facilities, staffing and equipment remained essential to maintaining academic standards.
SSANU further rejected any plan to concession or privatise King’s College, Lagos, or transfer the management of any other public educational institution to alumni associations or private bodies.
It called on the Federal Government to halt the proposed arrangement involving King’s College and ensure that public ownership and management were preserved.
On the wider economy, the union expressed concern over insecurity, rising living costs and worsening food insecurity, saying high costs of food, transportation, energy, housing, healthcare and agricultural inputs had eroded workers’ purchasing power.
It urged the government to strengthen security, protect vulnerable communities and pursue measures to reduce the cost of living and improve agricultural productivity.
SSANU reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its members’ welfare and professional advancement, saying it would continue to use lawful means to defend their rights and interests.
