The Nasarawa State Government has directed striking lecturers in state-owned tertiary institutions to return to work, warning that the ongoing industrial action could further disrupt academic activities and affect students.
The lecturers, operating under the Joint Unions of Nasarawa State Tertiary Institutions, embarked on an indefinite strike on December 29, 2025, over the alleged failure of the state government to fully implement the New National Minimum Wage.
Speaking during a bi-monthly press briefing in Lafia on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Public Affairs, Peter Sheba, expressed concern that the strike was coming at a time when schools are expected to resume.
According to him, prolonged closure of institutions risks keeping students idle and undermining efforts to improve the education sector in the state.
“We are already in January, and schools should be resuming. This strike is capable of affecting our children,” Sheba said, urging the lecturers to reconsider their action in the interest of students.
He assured that calling off the strike would allow the government to return to the negotiation table and resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.
However, the union maintained that the action followed the government’s failure to honour agreements reached after several meetings on the implementation of the minimum wage.
JUNSTI Chairman, Samson Kale Gbande, said assurances given during meetings held between August and December 2025 had not been implemented, despite the union’s patience.
He added that the delay in adjusting salaries had affected workers’ morale and productivity, insisting that the strike would continue until the government fulfils its commitments.
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