Nigeria’s public university system is set for another disruption. The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has confirmed a nationwide strike.
The decision was conveyed in a letter dated April 30, 2026. It was addressed to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.
Midnight Deadline Triggers Industrial Action
The unions announced that the strike will begin at exactly midnight on May 1, 2026. This follows the Federal Government’s failure to meet an earlier deadline. Previously, union members had directed their leaders to act if talks stalled. That deadline expired without a final agreement.
“In view of this, with the agreement not concluded as at 30th April 2026, and with no new offer, the strike action shall commence by 12am on May 1, 2026,” the letter read.
Allowance Withdrawal Fails to Address Concerns
Although the government withdrew a controversial allowance circular, tensions remained high. The circular had proposed a 30 percent increase in the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance.
However, union leaders argued that the withdrawal did not solve the real issues.
“We write to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence and to equally appreciate the Honourable Minister of Education for withdrawing the contentious letter,” the union leaders said.
“Despite this, the withdrawal did not resolve the core issues in dispute.”
In addition, they expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of ongoing negotiations. They insisted that discussions had been too slow to yield results.
“The consensus outcome of the consultation is that our demand vis-à-vis the slow pace of the renegotiation process has not been met,” they said.
Absence of New Offer Worsens Deadlock
More importantly, the unions pointed to the lack of a fresh proposal. They stressed that no alternative offer replaced the withdrawn allowance.
“While the letter on the withdrawal of the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance is acknowledged, no new offer has been made to supersede the 30 per cent allowances contained in the withdrawn letter,” they stated.
As a result, negotiations remained stalled. This further deepened the disagreement between both parties.
Universities Face Another Disruption
Consequently, the Joint Action Committee declared the strike unavoidable. They accused the government of failing to prevent the breakdown in talks.
“We hereby inform the Federal Government… that as a result of the failure of Government to avert the strike by positively acceding to our demands, all members… will commence total and comprehensive strike action by Friday, May 1, 2026,” said NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi and SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, administrative and support services across federal universities are expected to shut down. This development could once again disrupt academic activities nationwide.
Ultimately, the situation underscores persistent labour tensions in Nigeria’s education sector. Unless urgent steps are taken, the crisis may drag on.