FREETOWN, 27th October 2026 – Students across Sierra Leone’s public universities have made a passionate appeal to the Government of Sierra Leone and the Union of Academic Staff Associations (UASA) to resolve their ongoing dispute and end the industrial strike that has crippled academic work.
The appeal was made by the National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUSS), the umbrella body representing all tertiary students in the country, following days of consultations with Students’ Union Governments (SUGs), student leaders and other stakeholders.
In a statement issued on Monday, NUSS said students are now the biggest losers in the standoff between government and lecturers.
“Our academic calendar is in disarray. Lectures have stopped, examinations have been postponed, research and project supervision have stalled, and graduation schedules are now uncertain,” the statement said.
NUSS said it understands why lecturers are on strike, noting that their concerns over salaries, welfare, working conditions and the non-implementation of the Reviewed Conditions of Service are “legitimate and deserve urgent attention.”
Academic staff under UASA began the strike weeks ago, accusing the Ministries of Technical and Higher Education and Finance of failing to honour previous agreements on pay, allowances, medical cover and promotions.
But NUSS argued that students should not continue to suffer for a dispute they did not cause.
“We recognize and appreciate the concerns of academic staff. But we appeal that students should not become the unintended victims,” the union stressed.
Direct Appeal to Both Parties
To UASA, NUSS appealed for a return to dialogue and consideration of a temporary suspension of the strike while negotiations continue, so that teaching and learning can resume.
To Government, NUSS called for urgency, sincerity and increased commitment at the negotiation table to reach a “fair and sustainable agreement” that addresses lecturers’ welfare.
The union said the appeal is not meant to undermine lecturers’ demands, but to protect the educational future of thousands of students in Fourah Bay College, Njala University, Milton Margai Technical University, Ernest Bai Koroma University, Eastern Technical University and other institutions.
“Government Needs Lecturers, Lecturers Need Government”
In a powerful closing statement that has resonated with many students, NUSS declared: “Government needs its lecturers, lecturers need government’s support, and above all, students need their lecturers.”
The body said dialogue remains the only way to preserve stability in higher education and reaffirmed its willingness to mediate between both sides.
With final year students worried about delayed projects and graduation, and first-year students who resumed in September barely having lectures, pressure is mounting for a quick resolution to save the academic year.
