ABEOKUTA – The Nigerian university system faces a fresh threat of total shutdown as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued a final 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude the long-delayed renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement.
In a communiqué released following its 54th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Ekiti State University (EKSU), the union expressed “grave concern” over the sluggish pace of discussions. SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, warned that if the government fails to sign the agreement between April 1 and April 30, 2026, the union will collaborate with the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike.
The union decried the government’s lack of “clear commitment and defined timelines,” describing the current negotiation atmosphere as non-transparent. Beyond the 2009 agreement, the council highlighted the agonizing delay in salary payments and the non-implementation of approved wage increments, which they say have severely depleted the purchasing power of university workers amid record-high inflation.
“The recurring delays in salaries have imposed severe hardship on our members and their families, weakened morale, and undermined productivity across the university system,” the communiqué stated. To resolve payment frictions, SSANU recommended the adoption of the Remita platform as a reliable and unified salary structure.
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The union also took a swipe at the lopsided disbursement of the ₦50 billion Earned Allowances, specifically condemning the exclusion of Inter-University Centres and Research Institutes.
On the state of the nation, SSANU raised the alarm over deteriorating security on campuses and the wider country, calling for urgent investment in safety infrastructure and digital transformation to keep Nigerian universities globally competitive. The union concluded by reaffirming its resolve to protect workers’ rights against any public-private partnerships that might threaten job security, maintaining that there will be “no going back” if the April 30 deadline is ignored.
