The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced plans to meet with the Federal Government on July 25, 2024, to discuss their unmet demands, while the non-academic staff of universities are set to embark on a one-day protest on Tuesday over withheld four-month salaries, as a precursor to a nationwide protest on July 18.

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ASUU’s National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed this during a phone interview on Sunday, emphasizing that the July 25 meeting is part of the timeline agreed with the government following their previous protests.

“We have engaged with the Minister of Education and set a timeline. They made commitments to us and we will be monitoring their progress. Our next meeting is scheduled for July 25th,” Osodeke stated.

He highlighted that previous protests by ASUU had prompted the government to initiate discussions, but stressed the need for concrete actions to fulfill promises made.

Meanwhile, the non-academic staff unions, under the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU, have resolved to proceed with protests due to the government’s failure to pay their members’ salaries and address other grievances.

In a joint circular signed by NASU’s General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU’s President, Mohammed Ibrahim, the unions expressed disappointment with the government’s response during recent engagements.

“The Minister of Education and Labour Ministers have not shown convincing commitment to resolving our issues, including the withheld salaries. Therefore, we are commencing a series of actions,” the circular stated.

These actions include mandatory general meetings on July 8, 2024, protests on July 9, 2024, at all branches, and a national protest scheduled for July 18, 2024, in Abuja. The unions will decide on further actions after assessing the outcomes of these protests.

The unions had previously engaged in an eight-month strike in 2022, resulting in withheld salaries. While partial payments were made to academic staff in February, non-academic staff were excluded, leading to renewed tensions and protests.

The university campuses across Nigeria are expected to experience disruptions due to the planned protests by both academic and non-academic staff unions.