The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities has issued a one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement or face a possible nationwide strike.

The warning was contained in a communiqué released on Sunday in Abuja at the end of the union’s 54th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Ekiti State University.

Signed by SSANU National President, Muhammad Ibrahim, the communiqué expressed dissatisfaction with what the union described as prolonged delays and lack of commitment in the renegotiation process involving non-teaching staff unions.

Ibrahim warned that failure by the government to meet the deadline could trigger an indefinite industrial action, noting that the patience of members was wearing thin.

According to the union, the government must urgently reconvene negotiations and conclude the process in a transparent and time-bound manner. SSANU set April 1 to April 30, 2026, as the final window for the agreement to be finalised and signed.

He added that if the deadline lapses without tangible results, the union would collaborate with its Joint Action Committee partner, the Non-Academic Staff Union, to embark on an indefinite strike.

Beyond the renegotiation issue, SSANU also decried persistent delays in salary payments and the non-implementation of approved increments, which it said have exacerbated hardship among members.

The union called for the immediate clearance of outstanding salaries and advocated the adoption of a unified payment platform, recommending the use of Remita.

It further alleged that some categories of workers were excluded from the N50 billion earned allowances approved in 2022, insisting that all eligible staff in universities and research institutes be included without discrimination.

SSANU urged the government to address the impact of rising inflation through wage adjustments and strengthened social protection measures for workers.

The union also highlighted the chronic underfunding of universities, linking it to deteriorating infrastructure and declining quality of service delivery in the sector.

Raising security concerns, Ibrahim called for enhanced protection of lives and property on campuses, noting that insecurity continues to pose risks to staff and students nationwide.

He further warned that weak digital infrastructure and inadequate funding for research could undermine Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global academic space.

SSANU also rejected Public-Private Partnership arrangements that could lead to job losses, urging instead the establishment of a standing consultative mechanism to sustain dialogue and prevent recurring industrial disputes.