Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the implementation of an agreement with four staff unions in state-owned universities, including new allowances and payment of outstanding arrears, in a move aimed at resolving the industrial action disrupting activities at the institutions.
The approval covers the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), whose members work across Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH).
The unions had embarked on an indefinite strike over the implementation of agreements reached with the state government on staff welfare and allowances.
Details of the governor’s approval were contained in a letter dated October 7, 2026, signed by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, and addressed to ASUU chairmen in the three universities.
The letter conveyed approval for the implementation of a 40 per cent Consolidated Academic Tertiary Institutions Allowance (CATA) and a 10 per cent Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) for academic staff.
It also approved monthly allowances of ₦70,000 for Readers and ₦145,000 for professors, alongside a 35 per cent revision of allowances for non-academic staff across the state-owned tertiary institutions.
The new payments take effect from January 1, 2026, with arrears scheduled to be paid in two instalments alongside the October and November 2026 salaries. The letter also stated that the approved allowances would be tax-free.
The strike had disrupted teaching and administrative activities across the three institutions, with the situation escalating on Monday when NASU members reportedly shut the universities’ main gates.
Following the approval, the state government directed relevant agencies to begin implementation immediately in line with existing financial regulations and appealed to the unions to suspend the strike and return to work.
Sanwo-Olu thanked the unions for their patience during negotiations and urged members to maintain industrial peace and remain committed to their duties.
“I sincerely appreciate the unions for their patience, maturity and understanding during the negotiation period and enjoin all members to continue to maintain industrial peace and to be more dedicated to their duties,” the governor said.
However, the approval had not immediately brought the dispute to a close, as union leaders were yet to formally announce whether their members would suspend the industrial action.
One union chairman said an emergency congress had been scheduled for Thursday to consider the government’s position. Another raised concerns about the omission of retired professors’ emoluments from the approval.
The unions’ deliberations are expected to determine whether the approved measures meet their demands and whether academic and administrative activities will resume across the three Lagos State-owned universities.
