The indefinite shutdown of all four Lagos State-owned universities has triggered a political backlash, with ADC governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour accusing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of neglecting university workers despite the state’s huge revenue base.
Rhodes-Vivour described the strike, which began on October 2, as “avoidable and unacceptable,” demanding immediate payment of nine months’ salary arrears, implementation of the agreed salary structure and a 15 per cent “Lagos Factor” allowance.
The affected institutions are Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).
Joining the workers to demand payment of their unpaid arrears on Sunday, he warned that the prolonged shutdown was hurting students’ education and accused the government of placing workers’ welfare and the future of young people at risk.
“University workers deserve a pay rise and a government that honours its commitments to them. A government that allows its universities to shut down indefinitely is not only failing its workers, it is gambling with the future of our children,” he said.
The ADC candidate also accused the state government of failing to meet what he described as its financial and welfare obligations to university workers, despite Lagos’ substantial revenue base.
“Lagos is now the biggest recipient of federal allocations among Nigeria’s states. Its internally generated revenue is unquestionably the highest, but yet it lacks empathy towards its workers,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour called on the Sanwo-Olu administration to immediately settle the nine months’ arrears and implement the agreed salary structure and 15 per cent Lagos Factor in full.
He also urged the government to honour an earlier commitment attributed to Sanwo-Olu involving university workers, including the provision of five Marcopolo buses for students and staff.
The university unions have similarly listed payment of the nine-month arrears, implementation of the applicable federal-university workers’ agreements, the 15 per cent Lagos Factor and fulfillment of previous commitments among their demands.
Rhodes-Vivour therefore called on Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, to meet with the unions and bring the strike to an immediate end.
He said: “Lagos can afford to pay its university workers but what Lagos cannot afford is a government that chooses its comfort over the future of our children.”
The criticism comes against the backdrop of the state government’s earlier position that it was working to resolve the dispute. On September 29, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, said the government had agreed to implement the applicable agreement and was awaiting the governor’s approval for the release of funds after a financial table had been prepared.
The Joint Action Committee of the university unions, comprising ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT, commenced the industrial action on October 2 after the expiration of a final seven-day ultimatum to the state government. The unions are demanding payment of nine months’ accumulated arrears covering January to September 2026, implementation of agreed salary provisions and a 15 per cent “Lagos Factor” allowance.