Non-academic staff members from universities across Nigeria, under the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, staged nationwide protests on Tuesday.
They demanded the immediate release of their withheld salaries and the implementation of other pending demands from the Federal Government.
On various campuses like the University of Abuja, Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, protesters marched with placards bearing messages calling for government action.
At the University of Ilorin and other institutions, they emphasized the need for political leaders to reduce governance costs to meet their financial demands.
The leaders of SSANU and NASU expressed frustration over the Federal Government’s failure to address their concerns despite previous warnings and strikes. NASU National President Makolo Hassan reaffirmed their commitment to the demonstrations, stating, “There is no going back on today’s demonstrations.”
This protest follows a two-week ultimatum issued by the unions to the government in June, which expired on Tuesday. The unions had previously embarked on a one-week warning strike in March, resulting in administrative paralysis across universities nationwide.
SSANU and NASU criticized the government for allegedly prioritizing the payment of salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting non-academic staff. They pointed out that despite promises by Education Minister Tahir Mamman in April to release half of their withheld salaries, no action has been taken three months later.
The unions accused the government of discrimination and unfair treatment, citing disparities in treatment between academic and non-academic staff despite their equal contributions to university operations.
