The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of staff unions in Lagos State-owned universities has declared a total and indefinite strike effective from midnight on Friday, October 2, 2026. The decision was announced at a World Press Conference in Lagos. The strike affects Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), and Lagos State University of Education (LASUED). The unions have been pressing for the implementation of agreements signed with the state government.
The JAC comprises the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). According to JAC Chairman, Comrade Prof. Ibrahim Bakare, the unions had exhausted all possible means to avert the strike. The core dispute stems from the non-implementation of a communiqué signed on August 31, 2026, which included agreements on allowances and arrears.
The agreements included a 40% Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and 10% Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) for ASUU, and a 35% Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Non-Teaching Staff Allowance (CONTTA) and 35% hazard allowance for NASU and SSANU. The state government had agreed to implement these rates with the August or September 2026 salary and pay eight months' arrears backdated to January 1, 2026. However, the September salaries were paid without implementing the agreed rates and outstanding arrears.
Prof. Bakare alleged that government officials sabotaged the agreement by reverting to previously rejected figures. A formal appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu salvaged the process, leading to the signed agreement on August 31st. The JAC has now put forward five core demands to the state government, including immediate executive approval and implementation of the signed agreements, a one-off payment of nine months' arrears, and strict compliance with non-taxable terms on negotiated allowances.
The unions expressed deep disappointment, stating that their patience has been pushed to the limit. They called on citizens, traditional rulers, parents, and students to hold the Lagos State Government responsible for any disruption to the academic calendar. The strike has caused concern among stakeholders, with many calling for a resolution to the crisis. As of press time, there has been no official statement from the Lagos State Government in response to the strike declaration.
The JAC Chairman detailed a frustrating chronology of engagements with the state government, accusing officials of bureaucratic delays and shifting goalposts. The unions had issued a 7-day ultimatum to the state government, which expired before the strike was declared. The strike will paralyze academic and administrative activities across the four universities, affecting thousands of students.
The strike is a result of the state government's failure to implement agreements signed with the unions. The unions are demanding fulfillment of other outstanding commitments, including a 20% salary increment promised during the 2023 election campaign and the release of five Marcopolo buses. The indefinite strike will continue until the state government meets the unions' demands.
Key points
- The strike affects four Lagos State-owned universities: LASU, LASUCOM, LASUSTECH, and LASUED.
- The unions are demanding implementation of agreements signed on August 31, 2026, including allowances and arrears.
- The strike was declared after a 7-day ultimatum issued to the state government expired.
