By Ayomide Otitoju
Academic and administrative activities at the University of Ilorin were disrupted on Monday as non-teaching staff unions intensified a nationwide indefinite strike over salary demands and unresolved agreements with the Federal Government.
Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union staged a peaceful protest at the institution’s main gate, displaying placards and withdrawing services across key departments, effectively grounding operations on campus.
Chairman of SSANU, UNILORIN Chapter, Falowo Olushola, said the unions had rejected the Federal Government’s proposed 30 per cent salary increase, insisting instead on a 45 per cent increment and full implementation of the 2009 agreement.
“Our demand is the conclusion, signing, and implementation of the 2009 agreement. We reject the 30 per cent proposed to us. All staff in federal universities have rejected it. Our demand is 45 per cent, and that is final,” he said.
Olushola noted that the unions had issued several ultimatums over the years without meaningful response, prompting the current industrial action. He added that a deadline issued in March 2026 expired on May 1 without resolution.
“We need a government that will prioritise the survival of education,” he said, stressing that the strike is indefinite and not a warning action.
Also speaking, NASU Chairman at UNILORIN, Comrade Suberu Haruna Ibrahim, said the dispute dates back to 2017, when renegotiation of the 2009 agreement began.
“This renegotiation has lingered for years without conclusion for non-teaching staff. We cannot continue like this,” he said.
Ibrahim further alleged disparity in salary adjustments, noting that academic staff reportedly received about a 40 per cent increase earlier in the year, while non-teaching staff were excluded.
“We are demanding that the same be extended to us and backdated accordingly,” he added.
He described the strike as comprehensive, with non-academic staff nationwide withdrawing their services, and raised concerns over unpaid arrears, including outstanding salaries from 2022.
The impact of the strike was evident on campus, with transport services halted and students forced to trek, highlighting the critical role non-teaching staff play in university operations, including security, ICT, finance, and logistics.
The unions said the strike would continue until their demands are met.
