The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has given the Federal Government 14 days to pay outstanding salary arrears owed to its members or face an indefinite strike.
SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, issued the ultimatum in a communique released on Monday in Abuja after the union’s 56th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. The meeting, held at the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State from September 30 to October 1, considered issues including workers’ welfare, university funding and the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU agreement.
Ibrahim said the union’s NEC demanded immediate payment of arrears arising from the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU CONTTA salary structure. The structure took effect from January 1, 2026, but the union said outstanding payments had yet to be fully settled.
“NEC categorically demanded the immediate release and payment of all outstanding arrears arising from the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU CONTTA salary structure, calculated from the effective date of Jan. 1, 2026,” Ibrahim said.
He warned that failure by the Federal Government to meet the demand within 14 days would leave the union with no option but to begin an indefinite strike without further notice.
The SSANU president also raised concerns about uneven implementation of the salary structure across universities. According to him, some institutions have largely funded the implementation through internally generated resources because they have not received direct financial support from the Federal Government. He urged vice-chancellors and governing councils of universities that were yet to implement the agreement to follow the example of institutions that had taken steps to comply.
SSANU Demands Other Outstanding Payments
The union also demanded payment of two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial action. It further called for the payment of one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases.
Ibrahim described the outstanding payments as legitimate entitlements owed to affected workers and said prolonged delays had worsened the financial difficulties facing SSANU members. The union also expressed concern over inconsistent implementation of the agreement in state-owned universities, calling on state governments to provide the funding required for full compliance.
On university funding, SSANU called for greater investment in essential facilities and services, including electricity, laboratories, workshops, libraries, ICT infrastructure, security systems and infrastructure maintenance.
The association also rejected the use of virtual accreditation as a replacement for physical verification of university facilities.
