In a striking escalation of the long-standing friction between organised labour and the federal government, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has officially thrown down the gauntlet over the deepening crisis in the public university and tertiary education system. The union’s strongly worded communiqué signals that the battle over funding, negotiated agreements, and educational standards has reached a tipping point.
Under the leadership of Joe Ajaero, the NLC has declared its unwavering solidarity with all education-sector unions currently locked in dispute with the government. Moreover, it has summoned an emergency meeting of those unions to present a united front and to strategise on effective pressure tactics. In doing so, the NLC is explicitly rejecting the government’s repeated resort to a “no work, no pay” doctrine — a policy it regards as coercive and counterproductive.
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“No Work, No Pay” Rebuffed — Labour Demands Honour of Agreements
At the heart of the dispute is what labour describes as the federal government’s repeated failure to implement collectively bargained agreements with university staff and allied unions. In recent times, universities have been beset by industrial actions, threats of staff sanctions, and demands from authorities for staff to return to work or else face withheld salaries.
The NLC, through Ajaero’s letter dated 14 October 2025, insists that the “no work, no pay” approach is not only unjust but legally and morally indefensible. The union emphasises that the government must respect the twin principles central to labour relations — that agreements reached in good faith must be honoured, and that threatening workers with punitive pay measures undermines negotiation and institutional trust.
By rejecting the government’s hardline posture, the NLC is positioning itself as the protector of the collective bargaining process and defender of academic labour rights. The union further frames the struggle in moral and national terms, insisting that the preservation of public education is nonnegotiable.
Calling All Unions: A Unified Strategy
The NLC’s letter calls for an emergency convening of all unions in the education sector, with a view to forging a unified and coherent strategy that will more effectively engage the government. The names on the invitation include not only the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), but also:
- The Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN)
- The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP)
- The Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA)
- College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU)
- National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT)
- Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI)
- Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU)
- Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP)
According to the NLC, the crisis — marked by delayed funding, infrastructure decay, salary arrears, and the non-implementation of past agreements — is not an isolated challenge for any single union to tackle alone. Ajaero admonishes each union not to act in isolation, but rather to engage collectively in the struggle to rescue Nigeria’s public higher education system.
The meeting, to be held at the NLC headquarters in Abuja, is expected to produce actionable tactics — from coordinated strikes to mass pressure campaigns — that would leave the government with fewer avenues to sideline or divide the unions.
Stakes, Risks and Possible Outcomes
The NLC’s assertive posture signals a crucial moment in the tug of war over Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. The risk is high: the government, already under pressure on multiple fronts, may choose to dig in, triggering protracted standoffs and further disruptions to academic calendars. Students, researchers, and communities dependent on public universities may once again bear the brunt.
On the other hand, the NLC’s move may sharpen public awareness and galvanise stakeholders — parents, civil society, state governments, media — to side with academic integrity and the principle of institutional autonomy. If the labour front holds, the government could be compelled to the negotiating table under increased political and social pressure.
But much depends on how unified and resolute the participating unions prove to be. Fragmentation or internal dissent would blunt the intended leverage. The government’s response will also be telling — whether it opts for concession and compromise or doubles down on coercion and threats.
In the coming days, all eyes will be on the outcome of the NLC-called meeting, and on whether its call for solidarity can translate into sustained resolve. The line has been drawn — a showdown now looms.
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