SSANU Issues April Ultimatum Over Salary Renegotiations
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued a final ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the conclusion of stalled salary renegotiations before the end of April or face industrial action.
The warning came in a communiqué signed by SSANU National President Muhammad Ibrahim, at the end of the union’s 54th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Ekiti State University from March 26 to 27, 2026, with the document released publicly on March 29.
“SSANU hereby issues a final ultimatum to the Federal Government from 1st April, 2026 to 30th April, 2026 to conclude the renegotiation process and sign the agreement,” the communiqué stated, adding that “there will be no going back on this decision by the JAC of NASU and SSANU.”
The union expressed frustration over what it described as slow and inconclusive negotiations between the Federal Government and non-teaching university unions, warning that prolonged discussions without resolution were unacceptable.
Beyond the renegotiation deadlock, SSANU raised alarms over persistent salary delays in federal and some state universities, stating that “these recurring delays have imposed severe hardship on members and their families, weakened morale, and undermined productivity across the university system.” The union demanded immediate payment of outstanding salaries and recommended the adoption of the Remita platform for a unified payment structure.
On earned allowances, the council criticised the government’s handling of a N50 billion disbursement agreed upon in 2022, condemning the exclusion of Inter-University Centres and Research Institutes from previous disbursements and demanding full, equitable implementation.
The union also pointed to chronic underfunding of universities, warning that it has produced decaying infrastructure and weakened research and administrative capacity. It called for predictable and transparent funding of public universities and urgent investment in digital infrastructure to close the global competitiveness gap.
On the broader national environment, SSANU flagged worsening inflation and rising living costs, urging the government to implement wage reviews and social protection measures. The council also raised security concerns, citing increasing terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping across the country, and called for strengthened campus safety systems.
The union rejected any public-private partnership reforms that could lead to job losses or casualisation of university workers, and demanded the establishment of a standing consultative mechanism between the government and university unions for continuous dialogue.
“SSANU has demonstrated maturity, patience, and goodwill in the face of provocation and hardship,” the communiqué read, warning that the union “will not hesitate to embark on decisive and lawful industrial action” if demands remain unmet.
The development compounds existing tensions in Nigeria’s university sector. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) recently issued its own fresh ultimatum to the government over salary implementation and welfare concerns, raising fears of a broader, coordinated shutdown of federal universities.
Nigeria’s university system has experienced repeated closures in recent years, most notably ASUU’s eight-month strike in 2022, which disrupted academic calendars and affected millions of students nationwide.