NASU and SSANU Embark on Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid Salaries
The non-academic staff unions of Nigerian universities have begun an indefinite nationwide strike today, October 28, 2024, due to the government's failure to pay four months' salary arrears owed since 2022. The strike, announced by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which includes NASU and SSANU, follows repeated unsuccessful negotiations and unfulfilled agreements dating back to 2009.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
Students in Nigerian universities are set to face more academic disruptions as the non-academic staff unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), have commenced an indefinite nationwide strike today, Monday, October 28, 2024. The strike is in response to the federal government’s failure to settle salary arrears dating back to 2022.
The JAC, which comprises the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), declared the strike after months of fruitless negotiations. The unions cited unpaid salaries spanning four months and the government's failure to fulfill a 2009 agreement as reasons for their industrial action.
In a statement issued by JAC, the unions noted that despite numerous protests and several deadlines, there had been no satisfactory response from the government. Consequently, they directed all members to hold joint congresses across their respective campuses and begin the strike as a united front.
"We have exercised considerable and prolonged patience, allowing multiple deadlines to pass without receiving a satisfactory response to our demands by the Government," the statement read.
This latest strike adds to the growing list of industrial actions that have affected the Nigerian university system. In 2022, academic staff embarked on an eight-month strike over similar grievances, creating significant setbacks for students.
With no concession expected, the strike by the non-academic staff is expected to halt essential services in Nigerian universities, potentially prolonging the academic calendar for thousands of students.
