The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have declared a one-day nationwide protest for Thursday, October 9, over the Federal Government’s failure to address their longstanding demands.

The decision was announced by the unions’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) following a meeting held on October 6, during which they reviewed the lack of progress made on key labour issues despite repeated ultimatums and recent engagements with the government.

According to a circular issued to all branch leaders across universities and inter-university centres, the protest will include mass mobilisations, campus marches, placard displays, and press briefings to highlight the grievances of non-academic staff in the university system.

Grievances at the Heart of the Protest

The unions are protesting several unresolved issues, including: Alleged unjust disbursement of ₦50 billion in Earned Allowances, Delay in renegotiating the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements, Non-payment of two months’ outstanding salaries, Non-payment of arrears of 25% and 35% salary adjustments, Non-remittance of third-party deductions from May and June 2022 salaries

JAC stated that a 14-day extension granted to the Federal Government after an initial 7-day ultimatum expired YESTERDAY, with little or no tangible progress recorded.

“Following the inauguration of the Joint Consultative Committee by the Honourable Minister of Education, two meetings were held — on September 19 and October 6, 2025 — but our demands remain largely unaddressed,” the circular noted.

The memo, titled “Commencement of Protest Actions”, was signed by Prince Peters Adeyemi, General Secretary of NASU, and Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, National President of SSANU. It directed all branches to hold joint congresses on Wednesday, October 8, in preparation for the protest.

“All members of NASU and SSANU in both Federal and State-owned universities are expected to strictly comply. Your cooperation and strict adherence are essential to achieving success in our demands,” the memo emphasized.

The protest marks a renewed escalation in the ongoing standoff between the unions and the Federal Government, despite recent attempts at dialogue through the Ministry of Education’s Joint Consultative Committee.