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Zainab Abioye
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has issued the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to pay salary arrears owed to its members or face an indefinite strike.
The union said it will have no option but to initiate industrial action without further notice if the government fails to meet its demands within the stipulated period.
The national president of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, made this known in a statement released on Monday in Abuja, at the end of the 56th meeting of the national executive council of the association.
The meeting, held at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State between September 30 and October 1, deliberated on staff welfare, university funding and the implementation of the Federal Government of Nigeria/SSANU 2026 Agreement.
During the meeting, the union called for immediate payment of arrears arising from the implementation of the FGN/SSANU CONTTA 2026 wage structure.
Ibrahim said the wage adjustment should be calculated from January 1, 2026, stressing that affected workers have waited long enough for the payments owed to them.
It said: “NEC has categorically called for the immediate release and payment of all arrears due to the implementation of the FGN/SSANU CONTTA 2026 salary structure, calculated from the effective date of 1 January 2026.”
The union also revealed that some universities have begun implementing the new salary structure with internally generated revenue, despite the absence of direct financial support from the federal government.
SSANU therefore urged the rectors and governing boards of institutions that had yet to implement the agreement to follow the example of universities that had already started to comply.
In addition to the 2026 salary structure, the union has sought payment of two months’ wages allegedly withheld from its members following the 2022 industrial unrest.
It also demanded payment of arrears due to the 25% and 35% salary increases.
According to the union, the pending payments constitute legitimate rights of the affected workers, adding that the prolonged delay has further worsened the financial pressures faced by its members.
SSANU also expressed concern about disparities in implementation of the agreement in state universities.
The union called on state governments to provide adequate funding to enable their universities to implement the agreement and ensure that staff at the institutions are not disadvantaged.
The association warned that the federal government’s response during the 14-day period will determine its next course of action.
The development could further disrupt the operations of Nigeria’s public universities if the government and the union fail to reach an agreement before the ultimatum expires.
The threat from SSANU comes in the context of persistent disputes between university unions and successive governments over salaries, salary deductions, funding, staff welfare and the implementation of agreements reached with the federal government.
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