The National Association of Academic Technologists has put the Federal Government on notice that it can no longer guarantee industrial peace in Nigerian universities, citing nearly a decade of unresolved negotiations over its 2009 agreement with the government and the rejection of a salary proposal it described as inadequate.

The warning was contained in a statement signed by the union's President, Ibeji Nwokoma, following the association's 62nd National Executive Council meeting held on April 16, 2026, at the National Secretariat Complex of Yakubu Gowon University, formerly known as the University of Abuja.

NAAT disclosed that negotiations over the renegotiation of the FGN/NAAT 2009 Agreement have been ongoing since 2017, despite the agreement being due for review as far back as 2012 under its three year cycle. The process has passed through committees led by Wale Babalakin in 2017, Prof. Munzali Jibril in 2020, the late Prof. Nimi Briggs in 2022, and the current committee, chaired by Yayale Ahmed, inaugurated in 2024.

The union stated that a proposal presented on March 31, 2026, at the National Universities Commission was rejected by its National Executive Council for failing to reflect current economic conditions.

"NEC in Session rejected the committee's paltry offer from March 31, 2026, at the National Universities Commission," the statement reads, adding that the proposal fails to address economic realities, including soaring costs of premium motor spirit, cooking gas, and electricity.

NAAT also raised alarm over a letter dated March 30, 2026, from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to the Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, approving a 30 percent allowance increase for non teaching staff without concluding negotiations with the association. The union described the development as a violation of collective bargaining principles and warned that it would resist the approval through legal means.

"NAAT rejects this award and will resist it through all legal means, thwarting any divide and rule strategy," the statement added.

The association called on religious leaders, civil society organisations, the Nigeria Labour Congress, students, and parents to press the Federal Government to urgently reconvene and conclude negotiations in good faith, warning that failure to act would lead to academic disruption.

"Absent this, the government bears responsibility for impending academic disruptions and loss of institutional peace," the union stated.

The warning comes alongside similar alerts from the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, all of which have raised concerns over unresolved welfare issues, poor funding, and stalled agreements with the Federal Government.