University Unions Stage Nationwide Protests, Demand Action on Unpaid Salaries and Welfare

Non-academic staff across Nigerian universities, under the banners of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), on Thursday, held peaceful demonstrations demanding that the Federal Government honour long-standing agreements concerning their welfare and outstanding payments.

The one-day protest, which took place in several institutions including the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA); the University of Cross River; and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), followed a directive from the unions’ national leadership aimed at pressing home their demands.

Among the unions’ grievances are the government’s failure to review the 2009 labour agreement, the delay in releasing withheld salaries and allowances, and the pending implementation of approved salary increments.

At FUTA, staff members gathered in front of the Senate Building, displaying placards and chanting songs that called for justice and improved welfare. The local chairman of SSANU, Comrade Felix Adubi, said the demonstration was not just about unpaid salaries but also about the dignity of university workers.

“Our demands have lingered for too long. We are simply asking the government to resume talks on the 2009 agreement and see it through,” Adubi said.

In Calabar, members of the unions at the University of Cross River also participated in the protest. The local NASU Chairman, Comrade Atim Amah, said the move was in solidarity with colleagues nationwide.

“This is not just about money; it’s about fairness. The government should address our welfare to ease the economic strain on workers,” Amah noted.

At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, hundreds of administrative staff joined the march, temporarily halting non-academic operations. The protest leaders, Comrades Linus Akata and William Amu, emphasised that workers had been patient long enough and warned of an indefinite strike if the situation remained unresolved.

“We appreciate our members for turning out in large numbers. But if our concerns continue to be ignored, we may have no choice but to escalate our action,” they said.

The unions called on Nigerians, particularly parents and education stakeholders, to prevail on the government to act swiftly to prevent another nationwide shutdown of tertiary institutions.