SSANU, NASU Issue Seven-Day Ultimatum Over Unpaid Allowances, Salary Arrears

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have given the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to address long-standing grievances or face industrial action.

In a joint letter dated September 12, 2025, the two unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), condemned what they described as the “unjust” disbursement of ₦50 billion earned allowances, the non-payment of outstanding withheld salaries, and the failure to implement the approved 25/35 percent salary increments for non-teaching staff.

The letter, signed by SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, was addressed to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

The unions recalled that following their June 18 petition, the minister had convened a meeting with JAC on July 4, 2025, during which it was agreed that a Tripartite Committee comprising representatives of the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and JAC would be set up to resolve the controversy over the lopsided allocation of allowances.

However, the unions alleged that while academic staff had concluded renegotiations with the government on their own agreements, non-teaching staff had been sidelined.

“Our members in the universities were shortchanged, while those in the Inter-University Centres were completely shut out of the distribution,” the unions said.

They further lamented that the two months’ withheld salaries remain unpaid and accused the government of abandoning the 2009 FGN/NASU-SSANU Agreement renegotiation, despite the inauguration of a committee in October 2024.

The unions also claimed that repeated reminders, including a letter dated August 18, 2025, have been ignored.

“Despite our repeated efforts to draw your attention to concerns affecting our members, nothing positive has come from your office,” the statement read.

Consequently, SSANU and NASU declared that effective Monday, September 15, 2025, the government has one week to resolve the issues or risk a nationwide strike by non-academic staff across universities and inter-university centres.