​The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) are currently in a high-stakes standoff with the Federal Government. After seven rounds of talks since late 2024, the situation has shifted from “concerned” to “combative.”
Just this week, SSANU’s National Executive Council (NEC) formally rejected a rumored 30% allowance hike. They’ve labeled the circulating reports “misleading” and a “rude shock,” insisting that no formal agreement has actually been signed.
The unions are pushing for a total overhaul of the 2009 agreement. They feel the government is dragging its feet on both monetary (pay/allowances) and non-monetary (welfare and working conditions) components.
A major thorn remains the unpaid “Earned Allowances” and the backlog of salaries from previous industrial actions. If a compromise isn’t reached by April 30, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) has been very clear; they will pivot to an indefinite, comprehensive, and total strike.
It feels like a recurring loop for Nigerian higher education. The government has about 10 days left to bridge the gap otherwise, the “volatility” you mentioned might just become the new reality for the rest of the semester.
