Academic and non-academic staff of Lagos State-owned universities have issued a fresh strike threat, warning that they will embark on an indefinite industrial action from October 3 if the state government fails to implement agreements reached with the unions.
The Joint Action Committee of the unions gave the warning on Friday during a media briefing, declaring that its members would withdraw their services after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Lagos State Government.
The affected unions are the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, and National Association of Academic Technologists.
The institutions affected are Lagos State University, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, and Lagos State University of Education.
JAC Chairman, Prof. Ibrahim Bakare, said the planned strike would begin at midnight on Saturday, October 3, following what he described as months of failed negotiations, administrative delays and reversals by government officials.
According to Bakare, the dispute centres on the implementation of the signed 2026 Federal Government of Nigeria and staff unions’ agreements.
He said there had been apparent progress during a meeting on August 31, when the state government and the unions signed a resolution covering revised allowances, tax-exempt benefits and the payment of outstanding arrears alongside September salaries.
However, Bakare said the September salaries were eventually paid without the agreed adjustments or the outstanding arrears.
He said the development had increased the outstanding payments owed to university workers to nine months, covering January to September 2026.
“We have demonstrated unprecedented patience, maturity and commitment to peaceful dialogue. However, our patience has been pushed to the absolute limit. We have exhausted every possible administrative channel to avert this crisis,” Bakare stated.
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The JAC chairman maintained that the unions’ demands were legitimate and within the financial capacity of the Lagos State Government.
Among the demands is the full implementation of the signed 2026 FGN/unions’ agreement across the four state-owned institutions, as well as the payment of the nine-month salary arrears.
The unions are also seeking compliance with the agreement that negotiated allowances should be treated as non-taxable.
Another major demand is the implementation of a 15 per cent “Lagos Factor” allowance, which the unions said would address the economic pressures associated with living and working in Lagos.
They also called on the state government to honour previous commitments attributed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, including a 20 per cent salary increase announced in 2023.
The workers further demanded the provision of five Marcopolo buses for the transportation of students and staff, another commitment they said had yet to be fulfilled.
With the strike deadline drawing closer, the unions appealed to students, parents and civil society organisations to hold the state government accountable for any disruption that may arise in academic and administrative activities.
Bakare, however, said the unions were still willing to resolve the dispute if the government took urgent action before the deadline.
“We remain open to immediate executive action before the midnight deadline tonight,” he added, stressing that only urgent intervention by Sanwo-Olu could prevent a shutdown of the universities from Saturday.