The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued a strong warning to the Federal Government, announcing that it will embark on a nationwide strike in early 2026 if longstanding welfare concerns, unpaid allowances, and what it describes as chronic marginalisation of non-teaching staff are not addressed before December 31, 2025. The union declared this position after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, insisting that patience has run out and that the government must treat non-teaching staff with fairness and respect.
SSANU explained that its most pressing grievance stems from the controversial disbursement of the ₦50 billion Earned Allowance fund earlier approved for university staff. The union argued that the distribution of the funds was skewed and discriminatory, leaving out many non-teaching staff in universities, Inter-University Centres and several research institutes. According to the NEC, the exclusion was not only unjust but also a violation of the spirit of previous agreements with the government. The union is demanding that the entire ₦50 billion be released without delay and shared equitably among all categories of university workers who are legitimately entitled to it.
In addition to the Earned Allowance controversy, SSANU accused the government of failing to pay several months of outstanding arrears, including withheld salaries and unfulfilled wage adjustments that were captured in earlier negotiations. Many members, according to the union, have endured long periods of financial instability due to salary delays, miscalculations, and inconsistencies allegedly linked to payment platform irregularities. SSANU maintained that the government’s approach shows a pattern of neglect that has left many families struggling under harsh economic conditions.
The union also condemned what it called years of systemic marginalisation in the implementation of government agreements. It said that while the Federal Government routinely reopens conversations with teaching staff unions and renegotiates their welfare packages, non-teaching staff remain sidelined and treated as an afterthought. SSANU noted that several memoranda signed over the past decade have remained unimplemented, contributing to low morale among members and provoking suspicion that the welfare of non-academic staff is being intentionally downplayed.
Beyond wages and allowances, SSANU raised alarms over deteriorating infrastructure and unsafe working environments across many universities. The union cited poor hostel conditions, inadequate security, unreliable power supply, and the general decay of campus facilities as indicators of government neglect. It also argued that recent security threats, including abductions and campus attacks in some regions, have exposed non-teaching staff to heightened risks without any corresponding increase in safety provisions or insurance coverage.
At the NEC meeting, the union’s leaders affirmed that the December 31 deadline would not be shifted under any circumstances. They insisted that if the Federal Government fails to provide concrete and verifiable progress on all outstanding welfare issues, SSANU will shut down its operations nationwide. The union emphasised that such an action would not be symbolic or partial, describing it as a “total shutdown” that could cripple the operations of public universities. Since non-teaching staff handle administrative operations, examinations processing, maintenance services, security, laboratories, power and water supply, records, and essential logistics, the impact of a strike could bring academic activities to a standstill.
If SSANU proceeds with the industrial action, thousands of students across federal and state universities may experience disruptions in admissions processing, academic calendars, transcript issuance, hostel allocation, and ongoing research activities. A prolonged shutdown could also lead to institutional decay, stalled accreditation processes, and further decline in the global ranking of Nigerian universities. Analysts warn that the ripple effects could extend into national development, considering the pivotal role universities play in producing skilled manpower and advancing research.
The standoff between SSANU and the Federal Government is not new. Over the past several years, similar disputes have erupted, often ending with temporary suspensions of strikes after part-payments or unfulfilled promises. Many members believe that the government lacks the political will to implement long-term solutions, leading to a cycle of negotiations, delays, and renewed agitations. This year’s ultimatum, however, appears more decisive and more urgent, amplified by rising inflation and worsening socio-economic conditions across the country.
