The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has given the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government 14 days to complete the payment of outstanding arrears under its 2026 agreement with the union or face indefinite strike action.
The union’s National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, announced the ultimatum during a press briefing in Abuja while presenting resolutions from SSANU’s National Executive Council meeting held at the Federal University, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, over the weekend.
Ibrahim said the agreement reached between the Federal Government and SSANU contained measures aimed at addressing outstanding issues affecting members of the union, but accused the government of implementing the provisions inconsistently across universities.
According to him, the payment of the arrears had been carried out in a haphazard manner, with some universities recording implementation while others continued to face delays.
He warned that SSANU would no longer accept delays in implementing the financial provisions agreed with the government, stressing that the union expected the agreement to produce concrete benefits for its members.
The latest ultimatum follows a warning issued by SSANU last Thursday over what the union described as delays in implementing the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement.
SSANU said it would not accept what it described as “unnecessary delays, selective implementation, marginalisation or any attempt to diminish the financial and non-financial provisions of the agreement.”
Ibrahim explained that implementation had commenced in some universities but remained incomplete in others due to funding and administrative challenges.
He stressed that agreements reached with the Federal Government must move beyond promises and translate into measurable improvements for members of the union.
“Agreements and NEC resolutions must translate into concrete action and measurable benefits for our members,” Ibrahim said.
The SSANU president also directed the union’s branches and zones across the country to monitor implementation of the agreement closely and maintain updated membership records.
He further instructed the branches to document cases of non-compliance or victimisation and submit reports on implementation challenges to the union’s National Secretariat for further action.
The union’s latest position places the Federal Government under a 14-day deadline to resolve the outstanding payment and implementation issues raised by SSANU.
The union is expected to review the government’s response at the expiration of the ultimatum and determine its next course of action.
Failure to address the outstanding issues within the stipulated period could therefore lead to an indefinite strike by SSANU, potentially affecting administrative and non-teaching activities in universities across the country.