FG Convenes Emergency Talks with SSANU and NASU to Avert Impending Strike
In a decisive move to prevent a total shutdown of Nigeria’s public university system, the Federal Government has summoned the leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) to a high-stakes meeting today, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The emergency dialogue follows a definitive strike notice issued by the unions, who have threatened to vacate their posts by Friday, May 1, if their welfare demands remain unmet.
The core of the dispute centers on the government’s recent “unilateral” proposal of a 30% pay rise for non-academic staff. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of both unions has officially rejected the offer, describing it as an arbitrary figure that did not emerge from the ongoing collective bargaining process led by the Nimi Briggs-renegotiated committee. The unions are demanding a 40% increment to match the parity previously granted to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), arguing that treating non-teaching staff as “second-class citizens” is a recipe for industrial chaos.
Beyond the percentage row, the unions are pressing for the immediate payment of arrears from the previously approved wage awards, the release of two months’ withheld salaries, and the settlement of earned allowances dating back years. JAC leaders, including SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, have maintained that their members are facing severe economic hardship and can no longer survive on “promises and inconclusive negotiations.”
As the April 30 ultimatum expires tomorrow, the outcome of today’s meeting in Abuja will determine whether students return to functional campuses next week or face a complete halt of administrative, bursary, and library services. The government’s negotiation team, reportedly led by the Minister of Education, is expected to present a revised framework to appease the workers and secure a memorandum of understanding to halt the looming industrial action.