Taraba Students Give Government Seven-Day Ultimatum to End University Strike
Student organisations in Taraba State have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government and relevant stakeholders to resolve the prolonged industrial dispute disrupting academic activities in the state’s tertiary institutions.
The Joint Campus Council (JCC) of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Taraba State, and the National Union of Taraba State Students (NUTASS) announced the ultimatum on Friday in a communiqué issued after consultations among student leaders.
The dispute involves the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Taraba State University chapter (ASUU-TSU), the Joint Academic Community of Taraba Institutions (JACTI) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
The student organisations expressed concern over the prolonged disruption of academic activities, saying students had continued to suffer academic delays, financial difficulties, hostel evictions and transportation challenges.
They also identified disruptions to examinations, the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), final-year projects and graduation plans as some of the consequences of the ongoing dispute.
The communiqué acknowledged Governor Agbu Kefas’s interventions in the education sector, including a 50 per cent reduction in tuition fees and ongoing infrastructure development. However, the student leaders urged the government to intensify efforts to resolve the disagreements.
They called for renewed negotiations with the affected unions, clear timelines for implementing approved allowances, settlement of outstanding entitlements, immediate restoration of academic activities and improved attention to students’ welfare.
The student bodies gave the state government and other relevant stakeholders until Thursday, November 12, 2026, to demonstrate concrete commitment towards resolving the dispute.
They warned that failure to record meaningful progress within the seven-day period could compel them to consider further lawful and peaceful actions to protect the interests of students across the state.
The organisations stressed that although university workers deserved their legitimate entitlements and the government was expected to honour its commitments, students should not continue to bear the consequences of prolonged disagreements between the government and university-based unions.
“Resolving the disputes remains critical to restoring academic stability and safeguarding the future of students in Taraba State,” the student leaders stated.