Lagos universities unions threaten strike, issue ultimatum

Unions in Lagos State-owned universities have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike, giving the government a seven-day ultimatum to address their outstanding demands.

The unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Lagos State-owned universities, made this known to newsmen on Monday.

They spoke at a joint news briefing organised at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo campus.

Workers of the 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) were at the news briefing.

Unions represented were the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

The unions urged the government to take urgent steps to avert a disruption of academic activities across the state-owned institutions.

They also called on the state government to immediately implement the Federal Government’s agreements with ASUU, SSANU, NAAT, which they said took effect from January 1, 2026.

They further demanded the release of funds for the payment of the N50,000 palliative promised to staff on May 1, 2026.

Speaking on behalf of the unions, the Chairman of ASUU-LASU, Prof. Ibrahim Bakare, said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had announced on May 1, 2026 that all Lagos State workers would receive a N50,000 palliative, adding that the official communication from the government indicated that tertiary institutions were included in the arrangement.

According to Bakare, while workers in the Lagos State Civil Service received the payment, staff of the state-owned universities were excluded despite repeated engagements with university management and government officials.

He said the unions had written to and held consultations with the offices of the governor, deputy governor, commissioners for Tertiary Education and Establishments and Training, Head of Service, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Accountant-General, and relevant permanent secretaries in an effort to resolve the matter.

However, he said the meetings yielded no positive response.

Bakare said after consultations across the affected institutions, the unions resolved to issue a seven-day ultimatum to enable the government process the necessary approvals and release the funds.

He warned that failure to meet the demand before the expiration of the ultimatum would compel the unions to determine their next line of action, including embarking on industrial action.

He said: “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.”

Bakare said Lagos State had accumulated seven months of outstanding liabilities under the Federal Government agreements despite assurances previously given by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, that future federal agreements would be implemented promptly to avoid a backlog of arrears.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖