The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has expressed concern over the delay in the payment of February 2026 salaries to workers in federal universities, warning that the situation is inflicting serious hardship on staff and their families nationwide.
In a statement issued on Thursday, SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the delay has created severe financial strain for university employees and is beginning to negatively affect staff morale and productivity across the institutions.
According to the union, the development is troubling and requires urgent intervention from the relevant authorities, particularly the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) office under the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
SSANU urged the government to resolve the payment challenges immediately and ensure that outstanding salaries are paid without further delay.
“This unfortunate situation has created significant financial strain for our members and their families,” the statement said.
“Beyond the personal hardship it imposes, the delay in salary payment is steadily eroding confidence in the system, lowering staff morale, and inevitably affecting productivity and overall institutional performance within our universities.”
The union stressed that university workers who devote their expertise and time to sustaining the nation’s higher education system deserve prompt and reliable remuneration for their services.
SSANU attributed the delay partly to what it described as inconsistencies in the Federal Government’s salary payment structure for university employees. It noted that the frequent shift between the GIFMIS and Remita payment platforms in recent months has created uncertainty and operational inefficiencies.
According to the union, investigations revealed that the alternating use of the two platforms has disrupted the payment process.
“Investigations conducted reveal that the inconsistent approach in handling payment of Universities staff salaries which involved jumping from GIFMIS to REMITA and back in the last few months, has clearly shown the government’s inconsistency in policy direction,” the statement noted.
To address the problem, SSANU recommended that the Federal Government adopt the Remita platform for salary payments to university staff, describing it as a more seamless and reliable system.
The association also raised concerns about the slow pace of the ongoing renegotiation process between the Federal Government and non-teaching unions in the university system, including SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
While acknowledging the efforts of the chairman of the Federal Government’s renegotiation committee, Yayale Ahmed, SSANU said the process has yet to yield a conclusive and satisfactory outcome.
The union also faulted recent public remarks attributed to the Minister of Education suggesting that industrial harmony had been achieved in the university sector and that union grievances had been resolved.
SSANU argued that such comments do not accurately reflect the current state of negotiations and could mislead the public about the situation within the university system.
“While we recognise and appreciate the contributions of stakeholders working towards a resolution, SSANU believes that the Ministry of Education must demonstrate stronger commitment, urgency, and leadership to ensure that the renegotiation process reaches a logical and mutually acceptable conclusion,” the union said.
It added that the perceived silence of the Minister of Education at this critical stage of negotiations is concerning and does not encourage the spirit of collaboration required to resolve the issues.
SSANU warned that sustaining stability in Nigeria’s university system depends not only on dialogue but also on the prompt implementation of agreements and responsible communication with the public.
The association therefore called on the Federal Government to ensure the immediate payment of February 2026 salaries for staff of federal universities, noting that many workers are currently observing Ramadan or the Christian Lenten fasting period.
It also urged the government to accelerate the renegotiation process with non-teaching unions and provide accurate updates to Nigerians on the status of the negotiations.
SSANU warned that failure to address the concerns raised could trigger further actions by its members.
“Anything short of the above will clearly invite our unions to seek redress in every legal means possible, including but not limited to withdrawal of our services and picketing of government offices concerned,” the statement warned.
The union reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with the Federal Government in order to maintain industrial peace and safeguard the stability of Nigeria’s university system.
