Academic and non-academic staff unions across Lagos State-owned tertiary institutions have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding the settlement of outstanding welfare obligations and warning that failure to act could trigger an indefinite strike.
The unions are insisting on the immediate payment of a ₦50,000 palliative promised to workers by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as well as the implementation of the Federal Government’s agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), which they said became effective on January 1, 2026.
The warning was delivered on Monday during a joint press conference convened by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Lagos State-owned universities at the Lagos State University (LASU) campus in Ojo.
Representatives of ASUU, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), SSANU and NAAT attended the briefing, urging the Lagos State Government to urgently address the lingering issues to prevent disruption of academic activities across state-owned tertiary institutions.
The institutions affected by the ultimatum include Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) and Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).
Speaking on behalf of the unions, ASUU-LASU Chairman, Prof. Ibrahim Bakare, recalled that Governor Sanwo-Olu had announced during the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration that all Lagos State employees would receive a ₦50,000 palliative, with official communication indicating that staff of state-owned tertiary institutions were beneficiaries.
According to Bakare, while civil servants in the state’s mainstream public service have since received the payment, employees of the universities remain excluded despite several engagements with both university management and government officials.
He disclosed that the unions had written to and met with the offices of the governor, deputy governor, commissioners overseeing Tertiary Education and Establishments and Training, the Head of Service, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Accountant-General and other relevant officials in an effort to resolve the matter through dialogue.
Despite those engagements, Bakare said the government’s response had fallen short of expectations, describing an official letter received by the unions as vague and lacking a firm commitment to fulfilling the governor’s promise.
“We explored every peaceful and reasonable avenue available to us because we believe in dialogue. Unfortunately, our members have become exhausted and can no longer continue to wait while other categories of public servants have received the payment,” he said.
He explained that consultations across the affected institutions culminated in the decision to issue a seven-day ultimatum, giving the government time to approve and release the outstanding funds.
Bakare warned that failure to meet the unions’ demands within the stipulated period would leave them with no option but to consider industrial action.
“We pray industrial action does not happen, but if we are pushed to that point, we will have no other option. We cannot continue to allow our members to suffer under the current economic realities,” he added.
Beyond the palliative payment, the unions accused the Lagos State Government of accumulating seven months of unpaid obligations arising from the Federal Government’s agreements with ASUU, SSANU and NAAT.
Bakare noted that the state’s Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, had previously assured union leaders that future federal agreements would be implemented promptly to prevent the accumulation of arrears.
He expressed concern that Lagos had yet to honour the agreements despite other states, including Ekiti and Osun, already implementing them, describing the delay as disappointing for a state widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most developed.
The unions also renewed demands for the fulfilment of other welfare commitments, including the provision of staff buses promised by Governor Sanwo-Olu and the resolution of the outstanding 20 per cent salary-related issue previously discussed with the government.
Also speaking, NASU-LASU Chairman, Comrade Obafemi Sanni, said the seven-day notice became necessary because of what he described as the government’s slow response to issues affecting workers in the state’s tertiary institutions.
He urged the state government to act swiftly to avert an industrial dispute that could disrupt academic activities across Lagos State-owned universities.
