UNILAG SSANU, NASU Embark on Indefinite Strike Over Withheld Salaries

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, joined a nationwide strike on Monday, following a directive from their national leadership to demand payment of withheld salaries.

The indefinite strike, coordinated under the Joint Action Congress (JAC), was announced in a circular signed by NASU’s Secretary-General, Prince Adeyemi Peters, and SSANU’s President, Mr. Mohammed Ibraheem. The circular, which instructed branch leaders to mobilize members, mandates industrial action until further notice.

At UNILAG, members of SSANU and NASU gathered at the Senate Building’s foyer on Monday to commence the strike, starting with a congress led by Acting SSANU Chairman, Gbenga Adenaiya, and NASU Chairman, Yinka Abiodun. Addressing members, both leaders reiterated their call for the release of four months’ withheld salaries—a payment reportedly approved by President Bola Tinubu but allegedly stalled by federal officials.

“We believe that the Minister of Finance, the former Minister of Education, and the Chief of Staff are blocking the payment,” Adenaiya and Abiodun said, expressing frustration over delays despite repeated appeals, including a national protest held in July. The strike is now set to be total, comprehensive, and indefinite for all members nationwide.

As students are set to resume under a new academic calendar on Monday, November 4, the ongoing strike raises concerns about potential disruptions to lectures scheduled to begin the following week.