The federal government has concluded the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), bringing an end to months of negotiations over the welfare and conditions of service of non-teaching staff in public universities.
According to a report by the Tribune newspaper, the breakthrough was achieved on Monday following an extended meeting between the Federal Government’s Expanded Renegotiation Committee and representatives of the three unions at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja.
The development was confirmed by the National President of SSANU and Chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, who said both parties had successfully concluded discussions and reached an agreement.
“I can confirm that the renegotiation has been concluded today and an agreement has been reached. We will communicate the details after briefing the unions,” Ibrahim said during a telephone conversation with Tribune.
Although he declined to disclose the terms of the agreement, explaining that the unions would first brief their respective governing organs, he confirmed that the renegotiation process had formally ended.
However, a senior official at the NUC, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the meeting, disclosed that the unions accepted a 35 per cent salary increase after the federal government appealed for understanding over the country’s financial situation.
According to the source, the unions had initially demanded salary parity with members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), who recently secured a 40 per cent salary increase under a separate agreement with the federal government.
The official explained that government negotiators argued that prevailing economic realities and fiscal constraints made it difficult to extend the same percentage increase to non-teaching university employees.
“The unions initially sought parity with ASUU’s 40 per cent increase, but government explained its financial constraints and appealed for understanding. After extensive deliberations, the parties agreed on a 35 per cent salary increase,” the source said.
The agreement marks the end of a prolonged negotiation process that had heightened industrial tensions across Nigeria’s public university system.
Under the Joint Action Committee, SSANU, NASU and NAAT had repeatedly criticised delays in concluding the review of the 2009 agreement, warning that failure to finalise the process could trigger industrial action.
The unions maintained that non-teaching university workers deserved improved salaries and working conditions, especially after the federal government concluded negotiations with ASUU.
The federal government had earlier approved a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff following the completion of negotiations with ASUU.
Monday’s agreement is expected to close the chapter on the renegotiation process involving the three non-academic unions, although full details of the deal will only be released after consultations with their respective leadership structures.
