The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to conclude ongoing negotiations with unions in the nation’s tertiary institutions or risk a nationwide industrial action.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced the decision on Monday during an interactive session with labour correspondents in Abuja. The meeting followed discussions between the NLC leadership and representatives of unions in the education sector, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Ajaero criticised the government’s no-work-no-pay policy against ASUU members, describing it as unjust and counterproductive. According to him, such sanctions only worsen labour tensions instead of solving them.
“We have decided to give the Federal Government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector,” Ajaero said. “They’ve started talks with ASUU, but the issues in this sector go beyond ASUU.
If after four weeks these negotiations are not concluded, the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) will meet and take nationwide action involving all workers and unions across the country.”
Ajaero further warned that the NLC would no longer tolerate what he called the government’s habit of breaching agreements reached with unions.
“The era of signing agreements and then threatening unions for demanding implementation is over,” he added. “If the government insists on ‘no work, no pay,’ we’ll respond with ‘no pay, no work.’ You can’t benefit from a crisis you caused.”
Insightlinks has earlier reported that Nigeria’s higher education system has once again been thrown into turmoil following a nationwide strike declared by ASUU.
The union’s National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the strike on Sunday at the University of Abuja after a 14-day ultimatum to the government expired on September 28.
ASUU cited several unresolved issues, including unpaid salaries and allowances, poor funding of universities, unimplemented agreements, and the government’s failure to honour the 2009 ASUU–FGN agreement.
Although Education Minister Tunji Alausa recently stated that talks were in their final stages, highlighting a release of ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances and a ₦150 billion provision in the 2025 budget for university needs assessment, ASUU rejected these measures as inadequate.
The union is demanding:
Full implementation of the 2009 agreement
Release of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries
Improved and sustainable university funding
Payment of outstanding promotion arrears
Release of cooperative and union contribution deductions
Protection against victimisation of members
The NLC has reaffirmed its solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, stressing that workers across all sectors would join in the struggle if the government fails to act.
The congress also emphasised that respect for collective bargaining and prompt implementation of agreements remain crucial to restoring industrial peace in Nigeria’s education sector.
An emergency meeting is expected soon to determine the next line of action and strategies to protect the welfare of university staff while ensuring the stability of public tertiary education in the country.
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