The unions, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), said industrial action could follow if their grievances were not addressed.

Ibrahim Liman, chairman of the university’s SSANU branch and head of the Joint Action Committee representing the unions, raised the concern in a statement issued on Tuesday. He said members were unhappy with the delay in implementing the salary agreement.

According to Liman, the unions consider it unfair that teaching staff have reportedly benefited from similar salary adjustments while non-teaching employees are still waiting for the agreed changes to take effect.

He argued that non-teaching personnel play essential roles in the university’s administration, technical operations and daily activities, adding that their contributions should be recognised through the implementation of agreed welfare provisions.

Liman said the warning strike threat reflected the joint position of SSANU and NASU and urged the university management and other relevant authorities to intervene before the dispute escalated.

He warned that failure to resolve the matter could disrupt administrative and technical services, potentially affecting the institution’s day-to-day operations.

The dispute comes amid wider discussions over salary adjustments and welfare arrangements for staff in Nigeria’s public university system. However, the specific terms of the agreement cited by the unions, including its implementation timeline, were not detailed in the statement provided.

As of the time of the report, the university management had not publicly responded to the unions’ warning. It remains unclear whether further negotiations have been scheduled or whether a date has been set for the proposed industrial action.

Reporting by TalkNaija Media