The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has rejected the Federal Government’s 30 per cent salary and allowance increase for its members, warning that the move could trigger fresh disruptions across Nigerian universities.
NAAT President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, announced the decision in Abuja after the union’s 62nd National Executive Council meeting, saying the pay rise failed to address members’ demands and could worsen tensions within the university system.
Nwokoma accused the government of adopting tactics capable of dividing university unions, insisting that the increment violated established collective bargaining processes and ongoing renegotiations of the 2009 agreement.
He stated that the union would resist the pay award through lawful means, stressing that the development undermined trust between workers and government negotiators.
The rejection comes amid growing unrest in the tertiary education sector, following similar resistance from the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), which also turned down a 30 per cent salary offer earlier.
Tensions have intensified since the Federal Government approved a 40 per cent salary increase for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), a decision other unions say has created inequality among university workers.
Nwokoma explained that NAAT had been involved in renegotiating its 2009 agreement with government representatives since 2017 through multiple committees, but said recent offers remained inadequate to reflect current economic realities.
He noted that the union considered the latest proposals insufficient to cushion the rising cost of living, including increases in fuel, electricity and cooking gas prices.
The NAAT leadership also raised concerns over government approval of allowance increases for non-teaching staff before concluding negotiations with the union, describing the move as premature.
Beyond salary issues, the union lamented poor funding of Nigerian universities, warning that neglect of the education sector could further weaken academic standards and institutional stability.
NAAT called on the Nigeria Labour Congress, civil society groups, parents and students to pressure the Federal Government to urgently reconvene negotiations and finalise a mutually acceptable agreement.
The union warned that failure to resolve the dispute promptly could lead to disruptions in academic activities and threaten stability across public universities nationwide.
