Lagos varsity workers declare indefinite strike over unpaid nine-month arrears

Academic and non-academic workers in Lagos State-owned universities have threatened to commence an indefinite strike from October 3 over the alleged failure of the state government to implement agreements reached with the unions.

The Joint Action Committee, JAC, of Lagos State-owned universities issued the warning during a media briefing on Friday, saying its members would withdraw their services if their demands were not addressed.

The committee comprises the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.

The affected institutions are Lagos State University, LASU, Lagos State University College of Medicine, LASUCOM, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, LASUSTECH, and Lagos State University of Education, LASUED.

JAC Chairman, Prof. Ibrahim Bakare, said the strike would commence at midnight on Saturday, October 3, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Lagos State Government.

Bakare said the decision followed months of unsuccessful negotiations, administrative delays and what the unions described as repeated reversals by government officials over the implementation of the signed 2026 Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)/staff unions’ agreements.

He said negotiations had appeared to yield progress on August 31, when the government and unions signed a resolution covering revised allowance structures, tax-exempt benefits and the payment of outstanding arrears alongside September salaries.

However, Bakare said the September salaries were paid without the agreed adjustments or the outstanding arrears.

He added that the failure to implement the agreement had pushed the accumulated arrears owed to university workers to nine months, covering the period from January to September 2026.

“We have demonstrated unprecedented patience, maturity and commitment to peaceful dialogue. However, our patience has been pushed to the absolute limit. We have exhausted every possible administrative channel to avert this crisis,” Bakare stated.

The JAC chairman said the unions considered their demands legitimate and within the financial capacity of the Lagos State Government.

He listed the demands to include the full implementation of the signed 2026 FGN/unions’ agreement across the four institutions, payment of the nine-month arrears covering January to September 2026, and compliance with the agreed non-taxable status of negotiated allowances.

The unions are also demanding the implementation of a 15 per cent “Lagos Factor” allowance to address the economic pressures associated with living and working in Lagos.

They further called for the fulfilment of previous commitments attributed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, including a 20 per cent salary increase announced in 2023 and the provision of five Marcopolo buses for the transportation of students and staff.

With the strike deadline approaching, the unions appealed to students, parents and civil society organisations to hold the state government accountable for any disruption to academic and administrative activities in the affected institutions.

“We remain open to immediate executive action before the midnight deadline tonight,” Bakare added, stressing that only urgent intervention by Sanwo-Olu could prevent a shutdown of the universities from Saturday.

Lagos varsity workers declare indefinite strike over unpaid nine-month arrears