Save Our Universities: A Call to the Federal Government to Avert Looming Shutdown

As Nigeria marks her 65th Independence Anniversary, it is a time of sober reflection on our progress as a nation and an opportunity to recommit ourselves to building lasting institutions. It is therefore disheartening that, at such a symbolic moment, the public university system is once again on the brink of paralysis due to unresolved issues between the Federal Government and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), alongside the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).

The reasons for the looming strike are well-documented and cannot be ignored. These include the unjust disbursement of the N50 billion earned allowances, where the bulk of the allocation was skewed in favour of academic staff while Non-Teaching staff and inter-university centres were unfairly sidelined. Equally troubling is the non-payment of withheld salaries and arrears, coupled with the delay in the full implementation of the 25/35 per cent salary increment approved for staff of educational institutions. The government has also failed to honour or renegotiate the 2009 FG–SSANU/NASU agreements, despite repeated promises, while treating Non-Teaching staff as second-class within the university system.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU has, in good faith, issued ultimatums and even extended deadlines by two weeks to allow for dialogue. Yet the Federal Government’s response has remained inadequate. If these grievances are not urgently addressed, the unions may have no choice but to shut down public universities nationwide.

The ripple effects of such a strike cannot be overstated. Nigerian students would once again be sent home, their academic calendars disrupted, and their futures placed on hold. Parents already grappling with economic hardship would bear additional burdens, while idle students at home may become vulnerable to insecurity, cultism, and negative societal influences. The disruption of academic activities will also undermine the economy and further erode public confidence in our education system.

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Now more than ever, the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, must demonstrate leadership by honouring agreements with SSANU and NASU, ensuring equitable distribution of allowances, and according all university staff unions the dignity they deserve. This is not a matter of one union against another, but of fairness, justice, and the survival of our university system.

At a time when Nigeria should be consolidating peace and progress, the Federal Government cannot afford to allow the “Ivory Tower,” the citadel of learning and innovation, to fall into crisis. Let this 65th Independence Anniversary be remembered not for another disruption in the education sector, but as the moment when government showed leadership, embraced fairness, and saved the future of Nigerian students.

Akinola, Emmanuel Taiwo , PhD, FITD, FCILG
Branch Secretary, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU)
Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, Ondo State.
marshallakinola@gmail.com