SSANU Warns FG: Resolve Our Demands Before December 31 or Universities Will Shut Down Nationwide
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has sounded a firm alarm to the Federal Government, saying that if all its unresolved demands and the ongoing renegotiation process are not fully concluded by December 31, 2025, the union will enforce a complete shutdown of universities across the country in 2026.
This warning was contained in a communiqué released on Monday after SSANU’s 53rd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which took place at the University of Jos.
In the statement endorsed by its National President, Muhammed Ibrahim, the union condemned what it described as years of neglect, exclusion, and worsening working conditions affecting non-teaching staff. It stressed that the patience of its members has been exhausted and emphasized that it would no longer accept the government’s lack of seriousness toward their welfare or the sustainability of the university system.
SSANU decried the government’s refusal to release the N50 billion agreed upon in the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding for Earned Allowances, as well as the continued sidelining of Inter-University Centres and research institutes from previous payments. It described these patterns as deliberate acts of marginalisation.
The union also expressed frustration over the government’s failure to present a meaningful proposal in the ongoing renegotiation exercise, warning that any additional delays would almost certainly spark industrial action.
On security, SSANU raised alarms over the increasing attacks on educational institutions, pointing to the recent abductions in Niger and Kebbi States as evidence of escalating threats to students and staff. It blamed the vulnerability of campuses on poor lighting, damaged fences, inadequate security intelligence, and severely underfunded security units. The union urged the government to invest urgently in surveillance systems, perimeter upgrades, and comprehensive insurance for university personnel.
SSANU also dismissed the Ministry of Education’s plan to introduce Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements for municipal services in universities. It argued that experiences from other sectors show that PPPs often lead to job cuts, casualisation, and poorer working conditions. The union stressed that no worker must lose their job or be subjected to inferior employment terms due to any form of privatisation, adding that it will resist policies imposed without proper labour assessments and full consultation with stakeholders.
The communiqué further painted a bleak picture of Nigeria’s university infrastructure, describing chronic underfunding and facility deterioration as major threats to quality education. It cited poor electricity supply, rundown hostels, faulty water systems, and outdated laboratories as signs of a system collapsing under neglect. SSANU called on the government to guarantee sustainable, transparent, and adequate funding to restore basic operations in universities.
The NEC also noted the intense economic hardship faced by university staff. With stagnant wages, inflation, rising transport costs, and soaring prices of essential goods, many workers are sinking into serious financial strain. The union urged the government to immediately review salaries to reflect current living conditions and introduce stronger social protection measures for education workers.
Part of the communiqué stated:
“We have exercised enough patience. If by December 31 the government fails to fully address our demands and conclude renegotiation, shutting down universities in 2026 will be unavoidable. The responsibility will lie solely with the government.
“Our members have endured long-standing injustice, exclusion, and unbearable hardship. The marginalisation of non-teaching staff must stop, and the government must honour its commitments without excuses.
“The collapsing infrastructure, rising insecurity, and breakdown of essential services clearly show the system is on life support. We cannot continue working under these hazardous and demoralising conditions.
“While SSANU remains committed to dialogue, we will not hesitate to defend the rights and dignity of our members. Government must take swift action to avert a total breakdown of the university system.”
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