The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) on Thursday staged a nationwide protest across university campuses to demand the implementation of long-standing agreements and the payment of withheld salaries.
The peaceful demonstrations, held simultaneously at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Federal University of Lafia, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, and Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, were part of a coordinated action following a directive from the JAC national headquarters in Abuja.
Protests Across Campuses
At ABU Zaria, placard-carrying members marched from the Senate Building to the university’s main gate, chanting solidarity songs and displaying messages such as “Enough is Enough, Pay Our Withheld Salaries,” and “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied.”
The JAC Chairman of the ABU chapter, Malam Mohammed Yunusa, said the protest was triggered by the federal government’s failure to meet key demands, including unpaid salaries, earned allowances, and the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/NASU-SSANU agreement.
“₦50 billion was approved for earned allowances, but only ₦10 billion was released,” Yunusa said. “We are still owed two months’ withheld salaries, as well as 25 and 30 per cent arrears on wage adjustments.”
He warned that members were ready to escalate the action if the federal government failed to address their grievances.
At the Federal University of Lafia, members of SSANU boycotted official duties and gathered on campus to express frustration over what they called “the government’s insensitivity and lip service” to workers’ welfare.
The branch chairman, Mr. Daniel Dajen, said their demands include the renewal of the 2009 agreement, payment of earned allowances, and improvement of working conditions.
“Our welfare has been totally neglected,” Dajen lamented. “We want government to act quickly to prevent another round of industrial crisis.”
Persistent Neglect and Broken Promises
In Ile-Ife, the SSANU and NASU chapters of Obafemi Awolowo University joined the national protest, accusing the government of insincerity in implementing agreements reached over a decade ago.
OAU SSANU Chairman Ademola Junaid said the unions’ struggle dates back to 2021 and 2022 when they signed an agreement with the federal government on August 20, 2022.
“The government has failed to honour the agreement, particularly on earned allowances and withheld salaries,” he said.
His deputy, Mrs. Stella Adebiyi, added that many members had retired without receiving their entitlements.
“The Federal Government promised not to victimise us after the last strike, yet non-payment of salaries is victimisation,” she said.
Mr. Dayo Oyediwura, NASU Chairman at OAU, said government’s handling of the ₦50 billion earned allowance fund was unjust, alleging that the disbursement favoured one union while leaving SSANU and NASU behind.
National Leadership Reacts
In Abuja, the national protest was led by Mr. Nurudeen Yusuf, Chairman of SSANU and JAC. Addressing journalists, Yusuf said the demonstration symbolised renewed agitation for justice after “years of failed negotiations and unfulfilled promises.”
“This is the longest labour negotiation in history,” he said. “Since 2009, non-academic staff have suffered the effects of government’s insensitivity.”
He listed the unions’ major grievances as the unfair disbursement of earned allowances, non-payment of two months’ withheld salaries in 2022, unremitted third-party deductions, and unpaid wage award arrears ranging from 25 to 35 per cent.
According to him, meetings held with the Minister of Education on September 19 and October 6 failed to produce results, forcing the unions to embark on the nationwide action.
NASU President Dr. Makulu Hasan echoed similar concerns, saying the government’s repeated failures have eroded trust.
“Non-teaching staff deserve dignity. Our conditions—financially, economically, and psychologically—have worsened,” he said.
The SSANU/NASU protests come amid renewed calls for the federal government to overhaul the public university system. The two unions, under the JAC umbrella, have repeatedly accused the government of breaching agreements signed in 2009, and failing to pay arrears despite several committees and memoranda.
As of press time, the unions said they would await further directives from their national secretariat on the next line of action if the government remains unresponsive.
