Efforts to resolve the indefinite strike of university non-academic staff in Nigeria met a standstill on Thursday after a crucial meeting between the Federal Government and 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) ended in deadlock.
The meeting, held at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, was chaired by former Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, and attended by Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Nasir Gwarzo.
The discussions aimed at addressing key grievances of the unions, including the four-month salary arrears that prompted the strike on Monday, which has since paralyzed university operations nationwide.
SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, highlighted the scale of the crisis, noting that executives, including vice-chancellors, bursars, and registrars, had been unpaid for months.
“The universities will remain shut down until these salaries are paid,” Ibrahim told The PUNCH, stressing that the strike will persist unless immediate action is taken.
A source present at the meeting indicated skepticism among union members. “We were given assurance that the money will be paid, but we’ve heard these assurances before,” the source said, adding that the union requires more than promises to end the strike.
SSANU Vice-President, Abdussobur Salaam, affirmed this stance, explaining, “We informed the Federal Government that if it does not pay us, we will not resume work.
“While the government said funds would be disbursed soon, we made it clear that past assurances have been unfulfilled. We won’t return to work until the government genuinely fulfills its obligations.”
Following the meeting, Dr. Sununu, who chaired the talks on behalf of Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, addressed journalists, explaining that the government is pursuing a “holistic approach” to the unions’ demands and promised further collaboration to resolve the crisis.
“We reviewed the reasons for the strike and briefed the unions on the Federal Ministry of Education’s ongoing efforts,” Sununu said. “Significant progress has been made, and we are committed to finding a lasting solution that ensures a stable educational system.”
In a recent statement, SSANU’s Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi detailed the unions’ demands, which include improved remuneration, payment of withheld salaries, earned allowances, and the implementation of the 2009 agreement.
The unions had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government, which expired on October 27, urging action on their grievances.
The deadlock leaves university operations at a halt, with no specific date for payment. The unions remain adamant that the strike will continue until the Federal Government meets their demands.
