University based unions have threatened to go strike should the ongoing strike between them.and the federal government fails to reach an acceptable agreement by the end of April 2026.
The National Executive Council of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities issued the strong warning.
Both the government and the university-based unions are currently locked in a renegotiation talks.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a special NEC meeting held on Saturday at the union’s national secretariat in Abuja, where leaders reviewed developments in the negotiation process.
According to the communiqué signed by the National President of SSANU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Muhammad Ibrahim, and made available to the press on Sunday, the NEC reaffirmed that “the renegotiation process with the Federal Government is still ongoing and has not been concluded.”
The council also expressed concern over what it described as misleading reports in the public space, suggesting that the process had been concluded.
It pointed to the circulation of a letter allegedly indicating approval of a 30 per cent increase in allowances, insisting that discussions were still ongoing and no binding agreement had been signed.
NEC stated that “SSANU will not accept any outcome that falls below the negotiated understanding reached in the course of the renegotiation process, and insists that fairness, due process, and collective bargaining principles must be respected.”
Reiterating its earlier stance under the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU, the council maintained the ultimatum given to the Federal Government from April 1 to April 30, 2026, to conclude negotiations and sign agreements.
It warned that failure to meet the deadline would leave the unions with no choice but to embark on industrial action.
The communiqué stated that SSANU “will have no alternative but to, along with NASU, commence an indefinite, comprehensive, and total industrial action.”
The council urged members across all branches to remain calm but vigilant, and to stay united in readiness to comply with any directives issued by the union leadership.
“NEC called on all members of the Union across the branches to remain calm, vigilant, united, and prepared to fully comply with the decisions of the Union in defence of their welfare, dignity, and collective interest,” the communiqué read.
It further reiterated SSANU’s commitment to defending members’ rights and welfare, stating that the union “will continue to pursue justice with firmness, unity, and resolve.”
The latest warning follows an earlier communiqué issued after SSANU’s 54th National Executive Council meeting held at Ekiti State University, where the union expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of renegotiations and issued a final ultimatum to the Federal Government.
At the time, SSANU also raised concerns over salary delays, poor funding of universities, and deteriorating working conditions across the system.
In that earlier position, the union had stressed that prolonged and inconclusive negotiations were unacceptable, warning that failure to meet its demands would trigger industrial action alongside other non-teaching staff unions.
