The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government over unresolved labour disputes affecting their members. In a joint statement released on Monday and signed by NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, the unions said the ultimatum, effective from September 15, 2025, was directed at the Minister of Education. They warned that failure to address their grievances would compel members to embark on a series of industrial actions, including strikes.

The unions recalled an earlier letter dated June 18, 2025, where they urged the federal government to urgently intervene in pending labour issues. They expressed frustration that despite several engagements, no tangible resolution had been reached. According to the statement, unresolved matters include the disbursement of N50 billion earned allowances, non-payment of withheld salaries, and the implementation of the 25/35 percent salary increment.

NASU and SSANU also demanded the renegotiation of the 2009 Federal Government agreement with their unions, stressing that their members had been shortchanged in the distribution of the N50 billion earned allowances. They pointed out that while some categories of university staff benefitted from the allocation, non-academic staff in inter-university centres were completely excluded. The unions noted that a tripartite committee comprising the Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), and JAC of NASU and SSANU had earlier been proposed to resolve the impasse but was yet to be implemented.

The unions further lamented the non-payment of two months’ withheld salaries owed to their members, describing it as an unfair and demoralising development. They maintained that unless the government took urgent steps to resolve the issues within the ultimatum period, they would have no choice but to proceed with industrial action. The development has heightened concerns of another round of disruptions in Nigeria’s university system, already grappling with challenges of funding and stability.