Non-academic workers in federal universities will stop work from midnight on Thursday as talks with the federal government over allowances reach a deadlock.
The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) announced the decision on Thursday.
Leaders Peters Adeyemi and Mohammed Ibrahim signed the letter that directed members to commence the action.
The unions had pressed the government to complete talks on the 2009 renegotiation agreement for non-teaching staff.
Officials also expected a fresh offer after the government withdrew a circular on a 30 per cent rise in the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance.
No agreement came by the 30 April deadline, and no new proposal arrived.
In the letter, the leaders stated that with the talks unfinished and no further offer on the table, members should begin a total and comprehensive strike across all federal universities and inter-university centres from 12:00 a.m. on 1 May.
This move will affect administrative work, support services, and daily operations in these institutions.
Students and academic activities that rely on non-teaching staff face disruption once the strike starts.
Union officials say they took the step after several attempts to resolve the issues through dialogue produced no result.
They had set the end of April as the point for action if the government failed to meet their demands.
The strike adds to the list of industrial actions that have hit Nigerian universities in recent years.
Many observers note that repeated disagreements between staff unions and the government often lead to lost learning time for students.
As the clock ticks toward Friday, university authorities and the federal government have yet to issue a public response to the latest announcement.
Staff from the two unions prepare to withdraw their services in line with the directive.
