By Charles Emmanuel
Nigerian university staff embark on a nationwide strike over unpaid salaries, affecting operations nationwide.
Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have began an indefinite nationwide strike.
This strike, which began today October 28th, 2024, has seen non-academic staff from public universities across the country protest against the Federal Government’s withholding of their salaries. The unions contend that these withheld wages, which amount to four months’ pay, were unjustly denied to them while their academic counterparts were paid.
The two unions, frustrated with the government’s response, instructed their members to gather in congress meetings on university campuses and immediately proceed with a “comprehensive and total strike.” SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi co-signed a statement expressing disappointment that, despite repeated ultimatums, the government had yet to address their demands.
Unions Demand Equal Treatment
The situation escalated following an initial three-week ultimatum issued on September 17th, 2023, in which the unions requested immediate payment. The statement from SSANU and NASU noted that while protests and warning strikes had taken place over the past months, they did not yield the desired outcome. During prior protests, the unions temporarily shut down university facilities, halted administrative operations, and cut off electricity on campuses.
SSANU and NASU have accused the government of discriminatory practices, referencing the payment of withheld salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while ignoring similar demands by non-academic staff.
Rising Tensions and Government Response
In their statement, SSANU and NASU made clear that this indefinite strike is not only about the withheld salaries but also an assertion of equal rights for non-academic staff members within the university system. They emphasized that the government’s selective payment policy demonstrates a lack of regard for the work and contributions of non-academic employees.
The frustration has grown over the past months, with members of SSANU and NASU staging several protests and warning strikes across Nigerian universities. During these protests, administrative functions came to a halt, with university hostels closed and electricity supply cut on campuses. According to SSANU and NASU, these efforts were intended to pressure the government into reconsidering its policies. However, the situation has remained largely unresolved, leading to the current indefinite strike.
In an earlier explanation of the delayed payments, then-Education Minister Tahir Mamman attributed the issue to a “communication problem” and insisted that no favoritism was intended. Despite these assurances, SSANU and NASU leadership argue that such statements fail to address the pressing issue of fair compensation, particularly after the government’s swift action to resolve ASUU’s demands.
