Academic activities across Nigerian universities are set to be disrupted as the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have commenced a total and comprehensive strike action nationwide.
The directive, issued by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of both unions, takes effect from 12:00 a.m. on May 1, 2026, and affects all federal and state universities, as well as inter-university centres across the country.
The decision follows a high-level meeting between the union leadership and the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, alongside other key stakeholders in the education sector.
Despite appeals by government representatives for the unions to suspend the planned industrial action, discussions reportedly ended without any concrete resolution.
At the heart of the dispute is the prolonged delay in renegotiating the 2009 agreements concerning non-teaching staff unions. The unions had earlier demanded that the renegotiation process be concluded on or before April 30, 2026, a deadline they say has now lapsed without meaningful progress.
The unions also vehemently rejected the 30 percent CONTTSA award earlier proposed by the government, describing it as inadequate and not reflective of their demands. Although the government has reportedly withdrawn the controversial award, the unions insist that no fresh offer has been made, nor has a clear timeline been provided for concluding negotiations.
According to the circular, the leadership of both unions resolved to proceed with the strike in line with the mandate given by their members, stressing that only the full implementation of their demands as outlined in previous communications would be acceptable.
“In view of this, we hereby direct our members to commence total and comprehensive strike action,” the statement read, emphasizing that the action would be strictly enforced across all branches.
To ensure compliance, the unions disclosed that national monitoring teams have been deployed to assess adherence to the strike directive. They warned that any branch found violating or undermining the action would face severe sanctions.
The unions further called on members nationwide to demonstrate unity and unwavering support throughout the period of the strike, describing the action as necessary for the protection of their collective interests and welfare.
The statement was jointly signed by the General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, and the President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed H. Ibrahim.
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