Activities at the Bayero University Kano (BUK) were disrupted on Monday as non-teaching staff unions continued their nationwide indefinite strike, insisting on a 45 per cent salary increase and full implementation of the 2009 agreement.
The Bayero University Kano (BUK) branch, has announced its participation in the ongoing nationwide strike,
The Secretary of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), at BUK, Dr. Nura Garba, disclosed this in an interview with SolaceBase on Monday. stating that the decision followed a directive from the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which mandated members to embark on an indefinite industrial action effective May 2026.
Dr. Garba explained that the decision was reached after an emergency JAC meeting held in Abuja on April 18, where deliberations focused on the Federal Government’s failure to conclude renegotiation agreements with non-teaching staff unions.
According to him, while the government had successfully renegotiated terms with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), including approving a 40 per cent salary increment, non-teaching staff were offered only a 30 per cent increase.
“We work in the same university system, face the same economic realities, and operate within the same environment, yet there is a clear disparity in treatment,” Gerba said, adding that SANU members “vehemently reject” the 30 per cent increment.
Read Also:SSANU warns FG over renegotiation, threatens strike
He noted that the union had issued an April 30 deadline to the Federal Government to conclude the renegotiation, warning that failure to meet the deadline would result in a total and indefinite strike—an ultimatum that has now taken effect.
Providing insight into the implications of the strike, Gerba said students would bear the brunt of the disruption, as non-teaching staff are responsible for critical administrative and support services within universities.
He explained that beyond academic activities handled by lecturers, SANU members manage essential operations such as electricity and water supply, student registration processes, hostel allocation, and maintenance of facilities.
“Our members are responsible for the smooth running of the university system—from health services to environmental management, ICT operations, and even campus security. With their absence, it is inevitable that students will be seriously affected,” he stated.
He further noted that the timing of the strike could not be more disruptive, especially at BUK where student registration had just commenced.
According to him, processes such as online registration, authentication, and payment verification would be stalled, while planned hostel allocations for new and returning students would also be affected due to the absence of hall administrators.
Dr. Garba, however, indicated that the union remains open to dialogue and resolution.
Read Also:ASUU issues FG ultimatum over new salary structure
He said SANU and other non-teaching unions had taken several steps to engage the government, including holding meetings, issuing public appeals, and conducting media engagements to press home their demands.
He called on the Federal Government, particularly the committee led by Ayuba Ahmad responsible for the renegotiation, to act swiftly in resolving the impasse.
“We are appealing to the government to, as a matter of urgency, conclude this renegotiation and extend the same 40 per cent increment granted to ASUU to non-teaching staff,” he said.
The SSANU official warned that if the situation persists, administrative activities across Nigerian universities would be severely disrupted, emphasizing that the strike remains total and indefinite until their demands are met.
Similarly, NASU Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Nasiru Abdulrafiu told SolaceBase that joining the strike is a directive from the union’s national headquarters.
SolaceBase reports that the Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising both academic and non-academic staff unions in Nigerian universities, has long advocated for improved welfare and equitable treatment among university workers.
Disparities in salary structures and delays in implementing agreements have frequently triggered industrial actions in the sector, often leading to prolonged disruptions in academic calendars.
The current strike highlights ongoing tensions between university unions and the Federal Government, raising fresh concerns about stability in Nigeria’s higher education system.
