A fresh crisis is brewing in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector as the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union has written to the Minister of Education, rejecting a controversial 30 per cent salary increase for non-teaching staff.
The unions described the development as shocking and unacceptable, insisting that the reported salary hike did not emerge from any concluded negotiation process. In a strongly worded letter addressed to the minister, they demanded the immediate withdrawal of the circular, warning that failure to do so could destabilise the university system nationwide.
According to the unions, negotiations between them and the Federal Government are still ongoing, and no agreement has been reached that would justify announcing or implementing a 30 per cent increment. They argued that any unilateral decision outside the agreed negotiation framework undermines the principles of collective bargaining and could deepen mistrust between both parties.
The Federal Government had earlier approved the 30 per cent increase as part of efforts to improve welfare and ease long-standing labour tensions among non-academic staff in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. However, union leaders insist that the announcement does not reflect the reality of discussions at the negotiation table.
Reaffirming their stance, the unions warned that they would not accept any outcome that falls short of what is collectively agreed upon. They also reminded the government of an earlier ultimatum, which gives authorities until the end of April 2026 to conclude negotiations on longstanding agreements, including issues dating back to 2009.
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