The leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities has raised concerns over the ongoing electricity shortages in many public universities across Nigeria, which have been operating without power for the past three months, hindering research and academic activities.
Speaking at the SSANU national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday, during the association’s national leadership retreat for the National Administrative Committee members, SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, expressed frustration over the situation.
He warned that decisive action would be taken against state governments and employers who fail to implement the new national minimum wage of N70,000 and the payment of consequential adjustments by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
Ibrahim pointed out that both the federal government and several state governments have yet to implement the N70,000 minimum wage in public universities, particularly for SSANU members, who include professionals such as accountants, lawyers, engineers, and medical workers.
The SSANU leader also commented on an alleged demand for N8 million from each of the vice chancellors of federal universities for budget approval by members of the National Assembly. If the claim proves true, Ibrahim vowed that the union would take action against the lawmakers.
He further lamented that none of the public universities in Nigeria currently have sufficient resources to cover their electricity bills, stressing that many institutions have been without power for the past three months.
Ibrahim questioned how universities would be able to meet the alleged financial demands of National Assembly members while struggling with basic operational costs like electricity.
Ibrahim, said, “A decisive action will be taken against the state governments and other employers of labour who have failed to implement the new national minimum wage of N70,000 and payment of consequential adjustment by the end of the first quarter of 2025.”
He added that “as they stand in Nigeria, all the public universities, without fear of any contradiction, no university has enough resources to pay for its electricity bill”.
