SSANU Threatens Nationwide Strike in 2026 Over Marginalisation and Unpaid Allowances

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities has issued a warning that it will begin a total, nationwide industrial action in 2026 if the Federal Government fails to complete ongoing renegotiations and present what the union describes as a credible and realistic offer before December 31, 2025.

This was the major resolution of the union’s 53rd National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Jos, where members reviewed the situation in the education sector, the welfare of non-teaching staff, and broader national challenges affecting universities.

In a communiqué signed by the National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, the union accused the government of sidelining non-teaching staff in key financial agreements, especially the payment of Earned Allowances. Ibrahim said the N50bn agreed upon in the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding must be released immediately, adding that Inter-University Centres and research institutes excluded in earlier payments must now be fully included.

He stated that the union is dissatisfied with what it considers a pattern of neglect in the government’s renegotiation efforts. According to him, the expanded renegotiation committee has failed to make meaningful commitments to SSANU, yet continues to grant preferential treatment to other unions. Ibrahim warned that if a satisfactory offer is not presented before the deadline, the union will commence a total and system-wide industrial action in 2026.

The union also expressed concern about rising insecurity within educational institutions. Ibrahim noted that recent abductions of students and teachers in Niger and Kebbi States underscore the urgent need for stronger campus security. He called for upgraded perimeter protection, improved surveillance systems, advanced intelligence gathering, and better-resourced security units. He also stressed the need for staff to be protected with comprehensive health and life insurance.

On the Federal Government’s proposed public-private partnership initiatives in universities, SSANU warned that outsourcing or divesting municipal services could lead to job losses, casualisation, and poorer working conditions. The union insisted that no staff member should lose their job or be downgraded due to any new policy introduced without proper consultation and a full labour impact assessment.

Beyond the university system, the union noted that Nigeria is facing mounting economic and social pressures, including the deterioration of healthcare, widespread food insecurity affecting millions of citizens, and infrastructure that remains vulnerable to flooding and climate-related disruptions. SSANU called for coordinated national action to rebuild essential public systems, support farmers with reliable inputs and secure farmland, strengthen water and sanitation networks, and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure.

The union emphasised that without decisive intervention, these issues will continue to deepen hardship, weaken institutions, and threaten long-term national development.