Breakthrough Talks: JAC Directs Branches to Suspend Strike

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has directed its branches nationwide to suspend the indefinite strike, following a new agreement reached with the Federal Government.

The decision comes after a series of meetings between representatives of the unions and government officials, including the expanded renegotiation committee chaired by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, which was tasked with resolving the impasse.

In a circular issued on Thursday and jointly signed by NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, the unions directed their branches to suspend the strike effective May 11, 2026.

The unions stated that the Federal Government had pledged to conclude all outstanding renegotiations within two weeks of the suspension, expressing optimism that the agreement would address lingering issues affecting members.

Part of the negotiations centred on the controversial 30 per cent salary increase under the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS), which was previously proposed but later withdrawn by the government, triggering dissatisfaction among the unions.

The strike, which began on May 4, had disrupted academic and administrative activities across public universities, affecting essential campus services.

Meanwhile, the industrial action significantly impacted operations at the University of Ibadan, where students staged protests over prolonged shortages of electricity and water supply. The disruption, attributed to the strike by NASU and SSANU members, led to a shutdown of key services on campus.

Carrying buckets and chanting solidarity songs, undergraduate students marched through major parts of the institution, demanding the restoration of basic amenities. The protesters also called for the suspension of academic activities, insisting that learning could not continue under deteriorating conditions.

In a statement signed by the President of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union, Temidayo Adeboye, and Secretary, Joshua Shontan, the union described the living conditions in hostels as “unbearable,” citing total blackout, lack of water supply, and closure of the university health services.

The statement declared that all academic activities, including lectures and tests, should remain suspended until normal services were restored, arguing that it was impossible to maintain academic standards without basic infrastructure.

Some students, who spoke anonymously, expressed concern over the prolonged outage, stating that electricity had been unavailable for more than 48 hours, affecting water supply and access to essential facilities. Others raised fears about health risks due to the temporary closure of campus medical services.

University authorities, however, said the disruptions were a direct consequence of the ongoing strike by non-academic staff. The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Adejoke O. Akinpelu, explained that alternative measures were deployed, including the use of generators to mitigate the impact of the power outage.

She noted that the university consumed over 1,600 litres of fuel within two hours while operating generator sets and expressed hope that stable electricity supply would be maintained once public power was restored.

With the suspension of the nationwide strike, attention now shifts to the Federal Government’s commitment to conclude negotiations within the agreed timeframe, as stakeholders await tangible progress toward resolving the lingering disputes in the tertiary education sector.

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