The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) at the University of Abuja have launched a protest against the government’s failure to release four months’ worth of salaries withheld during a 2022 strike.
Addressing the press at the protest, SSANU chapter president Nurudeen Yusuf described the government’s actions as “provoking.”
He stated the unfairness of the situation, noting that while academic staff received four months of their withheld salaries, non-teaching staff were excluded, despite participating in the strike for the same duration.
In 2022, Nigerian universities were paralyzed by an eight-month strike. Both academic and non-academic staff had their salaries withheld during this period. SSANU and NASU members were on strike for four months.
In October, President Bola Tinubu directed the payment of four months’ salaries to academic staff, but non-academic staff have yet to receive their dues.
Yusuf urged the government to take immediate action to prevent further disruptions in university operations. He called on the Minister of Education and the Minister of Labour and Productivity to address the issue urgently.
“Today’s protest signals the beginning of a series of union actions which will culminate in the total shutdown of all universities in Nigeria,” Yusuf stated. He urged the government to act swiftly to resolve the situation and avoid unnecessary disruption to the academic calendar.
The unions demand equal treatment and the payment of withheld salaries, condemning the selective implementation of the presidential directive as unjust. They warned that continued inaction would lead to escalated industrial actions, potentially affecting university operations nationwide.
