The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of unions in Lagos State-owned universities has given the Lagos State Government a seven-day ultimatum to pay the ₦50,000 palliative earlier promised to workers or face possible industrial action.
The unions issued the warning on Monday during a news conference at the Lagos State University (LASU) campus in Ojo, stating that employees of the state’s tertiary institutions had been excluded from the payment despite an official government circular identifying them as beneficiaries.
Speaking on behalf of the unions, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), LASU chapter, Prof. Ibrahim Bakare, said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the ₦50,000 palliative for Lagos workers on 1 May, but employees of the state’s universities had yet to receive the payment.
Bakare warned that failure by the government to honour the commitment before the expiration of the ultimatum could trigger an indefinite strike, potentially disrupting academic activities across the affected institutions.
The Joint Action Committee 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).
The affected institutions are Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), and the Lagos State University College of Medicine.
According to Bakare, workers in the mainstream civil service have already received the ₦50,000 payment, while employees of the state-owned universities continue to await implementation.
He said the unions deliberately delayed public action while verifying the situation and engaging with university managements and relevant government officials.
Bakare explained that the vice-chancellors of the affected institutions had submitted the financial implications of the payment to the state government for approval. He added that the unions also wrote to the governor, the deputy governor, and relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Tertiary Education and the Ministry of Establishments and Training, requesting the implementation of the governor’s directive.
However, he said the responses received from government officials were vague and failed to demonstrate a clear commitment to paying the palliative.
According to Bakare, the decision to issue the seven-day ultimatum followed extensive consultations across the affected institutions.
He urged the Lagos State Government to resolve the matter before the deadline expired in order to avert disruption to academic activities.
“We are men and women of peace, but our members have lost patience because of the continued delay,” Bakare said.
He warned that failure to meet the unions’ demand would compel their various congresses to determine the next course of action, including embarking on an indefinite strike.
Bakare said the prevailing economic hardship had further compounded the challenges facing university workers, making the ₦50,000 palliative particularly urgent.
He also called on the Lagos State Government to implement agreements reached between the Federal Government and ASUU, SSANU, and NAAT.
According to him, several state-owned universities in Ekiti and Osun states have already implemented similar agreements, while Lagos State has yet to do so.
Bakare said the agreements took effect on 1 January 2026, leaving the Lagos State Government owing university workers seven months’ arrears.
He further appealed to the government to fulfil its commitment to provide staff buses to ease transportation challenges faced by university employees.
Bakare also called for the resolution of the outstanding 20 per cent welfare issue discussed during previous negotiations with the state government.
He said the prompt implementation of the agreements and improved staff welfare would strengthen industrial harmony and enhance productivity across the state’s universities.
Also speaking, Chairman of NASU-LASU, Obafemi Sanni, accused the Lagos State Government of adopting what he described as a lackadaisical approach to implementing agreements affecting tertiary institutions.
Sanni said the unions had exhausted all avenues for dialogue and warned that, should the government fail to respond before the seven-day ultimatum expired, they would have no option but to embark on an indefinite industrial action.
