Labour tensions are mounting across public tertiary institutions in Taraba State as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Taraba State University (TSU) remains on an indefinite strike, while other university and tertiary institution workers have declared fresh industrial actions and issued strike threats over unpaid allowances and outstanding welfare demands.
The latest development came on November 5, 2026, when the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), TSU branch, gave Governor Agbu Kefas and the state government a 14-day ultimatum to implement the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA), warning that failure to meet the demand would lead to an indefinite strike.
The ultimatum followed an emergency congress meeting of the union held on November 5. In a communiqué signed by its Chairperson, Bitrus Joseph Ajibauka, and Secretary, Offen Stephen Noseh, SSANU accused the state government of failing to honour the agreement between the Federal Government and the union despite several committee meetings and assurances.
The association said its members had exercised considerable patience but had yet to see the implementation of the allowance. It also pointed to other state-owned universities, including Adamawa State University, Sa’adu Zungur University, Gombe State University, Nasarawa State University, Kwara State University, Ekiti State University and Osun State University, where it said the agreement had been implemented.
SSANU warned that the government’s failure to act within the 14-day period could result in a total and indefinite strike, adding another potential disruption to activities at the state-owned university.
The development comes as workers across five state-owned tertiary institutions in Taraba State, under the Joint Action Committee of Tertiary Institutions (JACTI), began a two-week warning strike on November 4.
The workers are demanding the implementation of the Consolidated Academic Teaching Allowance (CATA), CONTTA and Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), alongside the resolution of outstanding issues involving salary deductions, union dues and savings. They have also raised concerns over the non-payment of annual increments and promotion entitlements, which they said have remained unresolved for more than 10 years.
The warning strike followed months of negotiations with the state government. JACTI said it had earlier given the government time to address the grievances but proceeded with the industrial action after failing to secure a definite resolution.
The latest actions have further widened an industrial dispute already affecting academic activities at Taraba State University. On October 12, the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities commenced a total and indefinite strike over the state government’s alleged failure to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU remuneration agreement and pay outstanding salary arrears.
ASUU-TSU, led by its Chairman, Dr Joshua Garba Mbave, said it was demanding the full implementation of the agreed remuneration structure and payment of arrears accumulated from January 2026. The union maintained that the strike followed months of unsuccessful engagements with the state government.
Before declaring the strike, the union had issued a 14-day ultimatum to Governor Kefas on August 13. After the ultimatum expired on August 26 without what it considered satisfactory action, it granted another extension. The state government subsequently requested additional time, which the union accepted in late September to allow further efforts at resolving the dispute.
However, following the completion of a verification exercise and continued delays, ASUU-TSU announced the indefinite strike in October, saying the outstanding demands had not been addressed.
With the lecturers’ strike ongoing, JACTI’s warning action and SSANU’s latest ultimatum have placed additional pressure on the Taraba State Government to resolve the outstanding labour issues and prevent further disruption across its tertiary education sector.
