NAAT threatens action over salary review delay

…accuses FG of breaching negotiation process

The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has raised fresh alarm over what it described as the federal government’s handling of the long-running renegotiation of its 2009 agreement.

The union warned of looming industrial tension in the university system if an agreement was not reached.

Rising from its 62nd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the National Secretariat Complex of Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja), the union expressed deep dissatisfaction over the slow pace and outcome of talks on members’ welfare and funding of the education sector.

In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, the union said, “The NEC-in-Session deliberated extensively on issues affecting members’ welfare, chronic underfunding of Nigerian universities, and what it described as the continued neglect of the education sector by the government.”

NAAT recalled that it has been engaged in renegotiation talks with the Federal Government since 2017 over the FGN/NAAT 2009 agreement, which was originally due for review in 2012 in line with its three-year cycle.

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The process, now spanning nearly a decade, has passed through several negotiation committees, including those chaired by Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN) in 2017, Professor Munzali Jibril in 2020, the late Professor Nimi Briggs in 2022, and the current committee headed by Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, inaugurated in 2024.

While acknowledging some progress under the Yayale Ahmed-led committee, NAAT said it “noted with concern the committee’s apparent commitment as reflected in agreements reached with other tertiary education unions.”

However, the union strongly rejected what it described as a “paltry offer” presented on March 31, 2026, at the National Universities Commission, insisting that it fails to reflect current economic realities.

NAAT stated, “The offer does not take into cognisance the prevailing economic situation in the country, especially the skyrocketing prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), cooking gas, and electricity tariffs, which have severely affected the living conditions of members.”

The association also expressed outrage over alleged unilateral actions by government institutions, citing letters dated March 30, 2026, including one from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to the Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, approving a 30 percent increase in allowances for non-teaching staff.

According to NAAT, such actions were taken “without the conclusion of the renegotiation process involving the association,” describing them as a breach of collective bargaining principles and a move capable of “creating wage disparities and undermining industrial harmony.”

The union declared that it rejected the development in its entirety and vowed to resist it through lawful means, warning against what it termed “divide-and-rule tactics within the tertiary education sector.”

NAAT further called on Nigerians, including religious leaders, civil society organizations, the Nigeria Labor Congress, students, and parents, to urge the Federal Government to urgently return to the negotiation table and conclude talks in good faith.

It warned that failure to do so could have serious consequences for the academic calendar.

“Failure to act decisively may lead to avoidable disruptions in the university system, for which the Federal Government will bear full responsibility,” the union cautioned.