Nationwide Protests in Nigerian Universities Over Withheld Salaries

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) staged nationwide protests on Tuesday across public university campuses demanding the release of their withheld salaries.

The protests, which saw placard-carrying non-academic staff gathering at universities such as Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), University of Ilorin, and University of Abuja, aimed to press the Federal Government to fulfill their financial obligations and address other outstanding demands.

The unions expressed frustration over the Federal Government’s failure to release their salaries, which have been withheld for eight months. They accused the government of favoring the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by paying their salaries while neglecting non-academic staff.

NASU and SSANU had previously embarked on a warning strike and issued a two-week ultimatum to the government, which led to Tuesday’s demonstrations after the ultimatum expired without resolution.

The unions recalled a previous strike in 2022 where they demanded better welfare packages, leading to a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy imposed by the government. Despite promises by Education Minister Tahir Mamman to release half of the withheld salaries, the unions claim they have not received any payments three months later.

Leaders of SSANU and NASU emphasized the importance of resolving these issues promptly to prevent a further breakdown in university operations nationwide.

The protests underscore ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s higher education sector, highlighting disparities in treatment between academic and non-academic staff.

As tensions escalate, both unions remain steadfast in their demands for fair treatment and immediate resolution from the Federal Government to avoid further disruptions to university education across the country.