By Cross Udo, Abuja
Nigeria’s public university system is edging deeper into crisis as talks between the Federal Government and striking non-academic staff unions stall, leaving campuses nationwide effectively shut down.
The ongoing industrial action by the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has paralysed administrative, health, and residential services across federal and state universities, with no immediate resolution in sight.
Efforts by the Federal Government to break the impasse suffered a setback on Monday after an emergency meeting in Abuja failed to produce a breakthrough, reinforcing what insiders describe as a widening gap between both parties.
SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the unions remain resolute, stressing that the strike would continue until their demands—anchored on a minimum 40 per cent salary adjustment—are met.
“Our position remains the same—we’ve asked for equity, fairness and proper consideration. Nothing has changed,” Ibrahim said. “We will go for the meeting, listen to them, but the strike is on.”
He described the compliance level as total, insisting that the shutdown was comprehensive and deliberate.
“It’s very effective—total shutdown for now,” he stated. “All clinics, administrative blocks, hostels, departments, faculty offices, finance units—even those providing so-called essential services—have been ordered to withdraw.”
The ripple effects of the deadlock are already hitting students hard. At the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), authorities have formally postponed examinations, citing the operational vacuum created by the withdrawal of non-teaching staff.
“In view of the Non-Teaching Staff strike, the above exams will be rescheduled till the current strike is suspended,” the university said in an official memo signed by its Exams and Time-Table Coordinator, Prof. Dani Mamman.
Across campuses, hostels have been left without basic services, administrative processes have stalled, and university clinics have shut their doors, underscoring the central role of non-academic staff in the day-to-day functioning of higher institutions.
Sources within the negotiating team indicate that while the Federal Government is seeking a phased resolution, the unions are insisting on firm commitments before any suspension of the strike can be considered.
“We are not asking for anything extraordinary—just fairness and equity,” Ibrahim added. “Until that is addressed, there is no basis to call off the strike.”
The standoff has heightened fears of prolonged disruption to the academic calendar, with students facing indefinite delays in examinations, registrations, and access to essential campus services.
With both sides holding firm and no compromise yet in sight, the crisis underscores the fragile state of labour relations in Nigeria’s education sector, raising fresh concerns over the sustainability of university operations amid recurring industrial disputes.
