By: Mohamed J. Bangura
The National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUSS) has called for urgent dialogue and a peaceful resolution to the ongoing industrial strike by the Union of Academic Staff Associations (UASA), warning that students should not bear the consequences of the dispute.
In a press release issued on 26th October 2026 from the Office of the President and signed by its President, Fiona Ngima, NUSS expressed deep concern over the impact of the strike on academic activities and students’ welfare across Sierra Leone’s tertiary education sector.
Following consultations with student leaders and other stakeholders, NUSS said the strike had disrupted lectures, examinations, academic calendars, research activities and graduation schedules, placing students’ academic progress at risk.
The Union acknowledged the legitimate concerns of academic staff regarding their welfare, salaries, working conditions and the implementation of the reviewed Conditions of Service.
“We believe that lecturers and academic staff deserve appropriate support and conditions that enable them to provide quality education and better services to students,” the statement said.
While acknowledging that UASA and the Government of Sierra Leone had been engaged in negotiations, NUSS stressed that the continued strike was directly affecting students, who were increasingly facing uncertainty over their academic future.
“Students should not become the unintended victims of a dispute between academic staff and Government,” the Union emphasised.
NUSS therefore appealed to UASA’s leadership to return to the negotiating table, continue constructive engagement with the Government and consider suspending the strike to allow academic activities to resume.
The student body clarified that its appeal was not intended to undermine the legitimate demands of academic staff but to safeguard students’ academic progress, welfare and future prospects.
NUSS also urged the Government to treat the concerns of academic staff with urgency, intensify negotiations and work towards a fair, realistic and sustainable agreement that addresses their welfare and conditions of service.
“We believe that dialogue remains the best path towards resolving this impasse. Government needs its lecturers, lecturers need Government’s support, and above all, students need their lecturers,” the statement added.
The Union called on both parties to place students’ interests and the future of higher education at the centre of the negotiations.
It further reaffirmed its willingness to support any constructive initiative aimed at bringing the parties together to achieve a peaceful and lasting resolution to the dispute.
“Let the negotiations continue. Let the classrooms reopen. Let Sierra Leonean students return to learning,” the statement concluded.