On Monday, activities at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) were brought to a halt as members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) enforced an indefinite nationwide strike.
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The workers shut down major services and staged a protest at the university gate, insisting on a 45 per cent salary increase and full implementation of the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government.
Chairman of SSANU at the institution, Falowo Olushola, said the unions had rejected an earlier 30 per cent offer.
He said, “Basically today, our demand is the conclusion, signing and implementation of the 2009 agreement. We reject the 30% that was proposed to us outrightly. All staff in federal universities have rejected it. Our demand is 45% and that is final.”
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He added, “If they want to give us anything lesser, let them present it clearly, but we do not want anything below 45%.”
Olushola said the strike followed months of warnings without response.
He stated further, “In March 2026, we gave the Federal Government an ultimatum of May 1, but nothing was done before it expired. Today is May 4, and they are still calling for meetings. We need a government that will prioritise the survival of education.”
According to him, the action is total and affects all non-teaching services.
He said, “Our members work round-the-clock. We handle security, ICT, finance, transport, and other services that keep the university running.”
NASU chairman at the university, Comrade Suberu Haruna Ibrahim, said the dispute dates back several years.
He noted, “This renegotiation has been on since 2017, yet the government has not concluded the non-teaching staff component. We cannot continue like this.”
He also pointed to wage imbalance, saying, “Just this January, teaching staff were given about 40% increase, while non-teaching staff were left out. We are demanding that the same be extended to us and backdated accordingly.”
Describing the strike as indefinite, Ibrahim said, “It is a comprehensive, indefinite strike, not a warning. We have issued warnings over the past two months and nothing was done. Now, we have taken our destiny into our hands.”
He further raised concerns over unpaid arrears.
He said, “All these must be addressed. Our future and welfare concern us a lot.”
The absence of non-teaching staff has already disrupted daily operations.
He added, “You can see students trekking because transport services are no longer available. Our members are responsible for driving and other essential services.”
Earlier reports also showed full compliance with the strike directive.
A union leader said, “The compliance of our members to the strike is total. We held a congress at the gate of the university early on Monday before members dispatched to their respective homes.”
However, academic activities such as examinations may continue under special arrangements by teaching staff to prevent disruption to students.
The unions insist the strike will continue until their demands are met, while raising fresh concerns about stability in Nigeria’s public university system.
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