Academic activities have been disrupted at the University of Ilorin following the commencement of an indefinite strike by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
The unions staged a peaceful protest at the institution’s main gate, displaying placards with messages such as “We demand fair treatment and living wages” and “Pay withheld salaries now,” while enforcing compliance with the industrial action.
Chairman of SSANU, UNILORIN branch, Falowo Olushola, said the strike was triggered by the Federal Government’s failure to conclude the renegotiation and implementation of the 2009 agreement with non-teaching staff unions.
According to him, “The major issue is the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement. We have been patient over the years, but nothing has been done despite several ultimatums.”
He added that the unions rejected the proposed 30 per cent salary increment, insisting that “our demand is 45 per cent, and that is final.”
Olushola emphasised that non-teaching staff play essential roles across various sectors of the university system, including administration, security, ICT, and logistics, noting that their contributions must be adequately recognised.
Also speaking, NASU Chairman at the university, Suberu Ibrahim, described the protest as part of a prolonged struggle for fairness.
“We are here to express our displeasure. This renegotiation has been ongoing since 2017, yet it has not been concluded for non-teaching staff,” he said.
He further pointed out disparities in welfare, stating that academic staff had recently received improved allowances while non-teaching staff were left out.
“We are demanding that our negotiations be concluded and that the same benefits be extended to us,” he added.
Ibrahim also highlighted outstanding salary arrears owed to members, including backlogs from 2022, insisting that these must be addressed.
On the impact of the strike, he noted that the withdrawal of services would significantly affect campus operations, stressing that “it is not only academics that run the university.”
The industrial action follows a directive by the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU, which declared a nationwide indefinite strike effective May 1, 2026, after the expiration of an ultimatum issued to the Federal Government.
Despite ongoing discussions, the unions maintain that the strike will continue until their demands are fully met, insisting that only concrete agreements not promises will lead to its suspension.
