The federal government has been issued a 21-day ultimatum by the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) to pay five and a half months of withheld salaries and address other demands, or face a potential strike by its members in universities nationwide.

This decision emerged from NAAT’s 56th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Taraba State. In a letter addressed to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, NAAT President Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma stated that the union would not be held responsible if the government fails to meet their demands by the end of the ultimatum, which commenced on September 30, 2024.

The letter, also copied to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Universities Commission (NUC), emphasized unresolved issues, including the non-payment of withheld salaries, the implementation of the 2017 agreement on CONTISS 14 & 15, and the lack of infrastructure upgrades in universities.

NAAT highlighted the government’s failure to address the problems that led to its previous strike action in 2022, despite reaching agreements back then. The union warned that if their demands are not met within the three-week period, its members will commence industrial action without further notice.