Students across Nasarawa State's tertiary institutions have made an emotional appeal to striking lecturers to halt their indefinite industrial action, as the dispute over the new national minimum wage implementation stretches into its second week, threatening academic calendars and futures.
The Nasarawa State Students' Association (NASSA) issued the urgent call on Monday, highlighting the mounting hardship on learners amid locked gates and silent classrooms. The strike, declared by the Joint Unions of Nasarawa State Tertiary Institutions (JUNSTI) on December 29, 2025, has halted operations at three key state-owned schools: Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic in Lafia, College of Agriculture, Science and Technology in Lafia, and College of Education in Akwanga.
NASSA National President Abimiku David voiced the students' frustration during a press briefing in Lafia. "We acknowledge the legitimate grievances of our lecturers and the unions, but the continued strike is inflicting irreversible damage on our education and career prospects," David stated. He urged a temporary suspension to allow dialogue, warning that prolonged disruption could derail graduation timelines for thousands.
The root of the conflict lies in the state government's delayed rollout of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, approved by President Bola Tinubu's administration in 2024. JUNSTI Chairman Samson Gbande cited repeated unfulfilled promises from negotiation rounds on August 6, October 23, December 3, and December 15, 2025. "Despite assurances that implementation would commence in November, workers are still shortchanged," Gbande declared. This follows a February 2025 warning strike by the same unions over similar wage concerns.
