Students Brace for Disruptions as University Workers Extend Strike Ultimatum

Students across Nigerian universities may soon face fresh academic disruptions as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) have extended their strike ultimatum to the Federal Government by another two weeks.

The two unions, operating under the Joint Action Committee, announced the extension on Thursday following the expiration of their initial seven-day deadline, during which the government failed to meet their demands.

The workers, who provide critical non-teaching services that keep universities running, cite unresolved grievances including unpaid benefits, inequitable distribution of allowances, and lingering labour-related issues.

Union leaders said their members have grown increasingly frustrated by repeated government delays and unfulfilled promises despite several meetings with officials of the Ministries of Education and Labour.

“We have been patient long enough. If nothing is done within this window, we will have no choice but to shut down services,” one union official warned, emphasising that dialogue remains the preferred route but insisting that concrete actions must follow.

A strike by SSANU and NASU would halt administrative services, laboratory operations, and other non-academic functions, severely affecting students nationwide. Parents and education stakeholders have expressed concern that any prolonged disruption could destabilise academic calendars and worsen the already fragile state of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

Education analysts say this development is a test of the government’s commitment to staff welfare, warning that repeated industrial disputes erode confidence in the higher education sector. They urged both sides to use the extension as an opportunity for constructive engagement.

For many students, the uncertainty is already unsettling. “We are tired of living in fear of strikes. It feels like we can’t plan our future properly,” lamented a final-year undergraduate in Ibadan.