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Lagos varsity unions issue seven-day ultimatum, threaten indefinite strike
Workers’ unions across Lagos State-owned universities have given the Lagos State Government a seven-day ultimatum to address their outstanding demands or face an indefinite strike.
The unions also called on the state government to immediately implement the Federal Government’s agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (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, warning that failure to meet their demands within the stipulated period would trigger an indefinite industrial action.
The ultimatum was announced on Monday at a joint press conference organised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Lagos State-owned universities at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo campus.
The briefing was attended by representatives of ASUU, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), SSANU and NAAT, who urged the government to take urgent steps to avert a disruption of academic activities across the state-owned institutions.
The affected institutions are 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).
Speaking on behalf of the unions, 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 government indicated that tertiary institutions were included in the arrangement.
According to him, 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.
Bakare 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, the Head of Service, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Accountant-General and relevant permanent secretaries in an effort to resolve the matter.
He, however, expressed disappointment over what he described as an unsatisfactory response from the government, noting that a letter received by the unions was vague and failed to provide a clear commitment towards implementing the governor’s promise.
“We explored every peaceful and reasonable avenue available to us because we believe in dialogue. Unfortunately, our members have become exhausted and can no longer continue to wait while other categories of public servants have received the payment,” he said.
Bakare disclosed that 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.
“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,” he said.
Bakare said Lagos had accumulated seven months of outstanding liabilities under the Federal Government agreements, despite assurances previously given by the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat that future federal agreements would be implemented promptly to avoid a backlog of arrears.
He noted that several state-owned universities in Ekiti and Osun states had already implemented the agreements, describing Lagos State’s delay as surprising for a state regarded as one of the country’s most developed.
The unions also renewed calls for the fulfilment of other welfare commitments, including the release of staff buses promised by Sanwo-Olu and the resolution of the outstanding 20 per cent salary-related issue discussed during previous negotiations with the government.
Also speaking, Chairman of NASU-LASU, Comrade Obafemi Sanni, said the unions were forced to issue the ultimatum because of what he described as the government’s lackadaisical attitude towards implementing agreements affecting workers in tertiary institutions.
He maintained that if the government failed to act before the ultimatum expires, the unions would have no alternative but to embark on an indefinite industrial action.
The unions said they remain committed to dialogue but insisted that the welfare of workers must receive urgent attention to sustain industrial harmony across Lagos State-owned universities. Union representatives from other universities appealed to the state to accede to their demands,noting that many of their members were dying.
A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has warned that Washington cannot afford to allow any attempt to manipulate Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The firm made the statement in a post on its verified X account on Thursday, September 24, while raising fresh allegations about the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Von Batten-Montague-York alleged that there was growing concern across Nigeria’s political divide over what it described as corruption within the federal government.
The firm also alleged that Tinubu appointed an individual as the minister responsible for the nation’s budget despite claims it attributed to the United States Department of Justice concerning the person’s alleged involvement in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from Nigeria’s treasury during a previous administration.
However, the firm did not provide further details or evidence in its latest post to substantiate the allegation.
On the 2027 election, the firm said the United States had a significant interest in ensuring that Nigeria conducts a credible and peaceful electoral process.
“The US cannot afford to allow President Tinubu to rig the upcoming Nigerian election,” the firm stated.
It further alleged that what it described as “lawlessness” in Nigeria could place the country on a trajectory similar to developments witnessed in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
“Free and fair elections in Nigeria are essential to protecting US interests in Nigeria and the broader region,” it added.
Background
The latest statement is part of a series of interventions by Von Batten-Montague-York on Nigeria’s political affairs ahead of the 2027 elections.
Earlier this month, the firm alleged that the Tinubu administration was seeking to influence the 2027 presidential election through state institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, the judiciary and law-enforcement agencies. The firm did not provide independently verified evidence for those claims in the statement cited at the time.
The firm’s political activities in Nigeria have also attracted attention because it was hired by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar under a lobbying agreement filed with the US Department of Justice. TheCable reported in September that the contract was valued at $1.2 million for 12 months and was intended, among other objectives, to strengthen Atiku’s standing in Washington and counter narratives associated with the Nigerian government.
That background is relevant to the latest statement because it shows that the firm’s comments on Nigeria’s political environment come from an organisation that has been engaged in advocacy on behalf of a major political figure preparing for the 2027 contest.
The firm’s statement should therefore be distinguished from an official position of the US government. There is no indication in the cited report that Washington has announced a policy to intervene in Nigeria’s 2027 election or accused Tinubu of planning to rig the poll. The claims about election manipulation and corruption remain allegations made by Von Batten-Montague-York.
With Nigeria’s 2027 general elections approaching, electoral integrity, the independence of state institutions and the role of international partners are expected to remain major issues in the country’s political debate.
The Apo- Karshi road project was awarded in 2011, and abandoned for over a decade.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, was there a few minutes ago to see things for himself.
Four teenage passengers, all girls, have died after a boat conveying eight people capsized at Dudduru Pond, about three kilometres from Kwadige Village in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The incident occurred at about 4:00 pm on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, while the passengers were travelling from Kwadige Village to Chai Chai Sabuwa Market.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Jigawa State Command, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday by its Public Relations Officer, ASC Badruddeen Tijjani Mahmud.
According to the NSCDC, preliminary information indicated that strong winds might have caused the boat to capsize.
The four victims were identified as 13-year-old Hasiya Mu’azu, 13-year-old Hauwa Lawan, 12-year-old Fatima Lawan and 13-year-old Dawsiyya Lawan.
The statement said, “Sadly, four passengers, all females, lost their lives in the incident, while the remaining four passengers were successfully rescued.”
The four survivors were rescued by farmers working around the pond when the incident occurred.
The NSCDC said the bodies of the four victims were later buried according to Islamic rites.
The State Commandant, CC Muhammad Ingawa, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and the people of Kwadige over the tragedy.
He urged communities that depend on boats for transportation to exercise caution when travelling on waterways, particularly during strong winds and adverse weather conditions.
The Commandant also called on boat operators and passengers to observe basic water-safety measures and avoid travelling in conditions capable of putting lives at risk.
US Lobbying Firm Warns Against Alleged Attempt to Rig Nigeria’s 2027 Election
OF TEEJAY YUSUF, KOGI WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT, AND RESPONSIVE SERVANTHOOD
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