FUTO and UNILORIN JAC Branches Enforce “Total Compliance” as Strike Grips Campuses

In a significant escalation of the ongoing industrial dispute between university non-teaching staff and the Federal Government, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) branches at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have reported “total compliance” with the strike directive this morning, May 1, 2026.

According to update reports filed by local branch chairmen, all administrative, technical, and bursary operations have been completely paralyzed. At both institutions, union members have established strategic picket lines at main entrance gates and key administrative buildings. These enforcement teams are ensuring that no administrative officers or casual workers gain access to university offices, effectively ensuring that the strike remains comprehensive.

“We have successfully locked down all non-teaching essential services,” a JAC official at UNILORIN stated. “From the clinics and libraries to the security units and power centers, our members are standing firm until the government addresses the pay disparity and arrears.”

The situation at FUTO mirrors this resolve, where students arriving for morning lectures found the bursary and student affairs buildings tightly shuttered. The enforcement of “total compliance” means that even skeletal services, which are sometimes maintained during minor industrial actions, have been withdrawn.

This coordinated lockdown across two major federal institutions serves as a stark message to the government regarding the unity of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU). As the campuses remain largely deserted by staff, the focus now shifts back to Abuja, where stakeholders are watching to see if the government will offer a revised package to restore normalcy to the university system.