Pay row: FG meets SSANU, NASU leadership Wednesday

The Federal Government is scheduled to meet the leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in a bid to prevent an imminent strike by the unions.

 

The planned meeting comes amid rising tensions over a proposed 30 per cent salary increase for non-academic university workers, announced by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.

 

Top government and union sources confirmed the development, saying both sides are expected to meet in Abuja as part of renewed negotiations.

 

“The government has invited us to a meeting on Wednesday. We will attend, but our ultimatum still stands,” a source familiar with the talks said.

 

Another official also confirmed receipt of the invitation, noting that the unions would participate in the discussions.

 

The dispute follows the circulation of a letter allegedly approving the salary adjustment, which SSANU and NASU have rejected, insisting they were not part of the process.

 

In a joint statement under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), the unions described the development as unacceptable, arguing that it violates collective bargaining principles.

 

“We have not reached any conclusion warranting the award, which is alien to the tradition of collective bargaining,” the unions said.

 

They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the document and warned that any unilateral implementation would trigger industrial action.

 

The unions also maintained that negotiations under the federal government committee chaired by Dr Yayale Ahmed are still ongoing and no final agreement has been reached.

 

“We are not part of it, and we will not accept anything less than what is agreed collectively,” the JAC stated.

 

The disagreement comes shortly after a 40 per cent salary increase was approved for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), a development that has further heightened tensions across the university system.