Frustration reached boiling point at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), on Thursday as hundreds of non-teaching staff stormed the campus in protest over withheld salaries and the government’s failure to honour long-standing agreements.
The demonstration, which disrupted administrative activities, was organized under the umbrella of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU). The workers, led by SSANU Chairman Comrade Linus Akata and NASU Chairman Comrade William Amu, marched through the campus chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with messages such as “FGN, honour the 2009 agreement now,” and “Enough is enough, pay our withheld salaries.”
According to the union leaders, the protest was a coordinated action across all public universities in response to a directive from the national Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU. They explained that the one-day protest served as a final warning to the Federal Government before the unions embark on a full-scale indefinite strike that could cripple Nigeria’s public university system.
“The government has pushed us to the wall,” Akata said during the protest. “This is not just about UNN—it’s a national outcry. Our members have endured hardship for too long. If nothing changes after this protest, we will have no choice but to shut down all public universities across the country.”
The unions expressed deep disappointment over the Federal Government’s continued refusal to implement the 2009 agreement, its failure to remit third-party deductions from staff salaries, and the ongoing non-payment of wages withheld during the 2022 industrial strike.
Many of the protesting workers shared their personal struggles, saying that months without pay have made life unbearable. “We can’t feed our families or pay our children’s school fees,” lamented one staff member. “It feels like the government has forgotten we exist.”
The protesters urged Nigerians, especially parents and education stakeholders, to put pressure on the government to address their grievances before the situation escalates. “If the nationwide strike begins, it will be total and comprehensive,” warned Comrade Amu. “Every administrative and academic activity in public universities will be shut down.”
Thursday’s protest ended peacefully but sent a strong signal to the Federal Government that patience among university non-teaching staff is running out. As one placard boldly read, “We demand our rights, not sympathy.”