-Over Unmet Demands
By Shallon S. Gonlor (shallonsgonlor@gmail.com)
SANNIQUELLIE CITY, Nimba County — The Nimba University Faculty Association (NUFA) has announced plans to disengage from all academic activities starting from the second semester, expected to resume in November 2025. This move aims to address a growing list of unresolved concerns plaguing the university.
According to a press statement released on September 3, 2025, NUFA outlined several key issues that triggered the planned disengagement, including: —
Lack of replacements for retired instructors and staff, leading to increased workloads and strained teaching conditions. Failure to regularize the employment status of instructors who returned from study leave one to two years ago.
Non-payment of allowances and benefits for faculty members recently promoted to positions such as Dean, Associate Dean, and Department Chair, and deteriorating classroom conditions, are creating an unconducive learning environment. Others are inadequate office spaces for faculty and staff, broken-down school buses, leaving faculty and staff without reliable campus transportation, a lack of water supply across campus facilities, and the closure of the university cafeteria, affecting daily student and staff welfare.
NUFA emphasized that while faculty members will administer ongoing exams, they will not submit grades or upload them to the NU — Eportal platform until their demands are addressed. “The faculty remains committed to the academic success of students, but we cannot continue to operate under these deteriorating conditions,” stated Mr. Philip N. Kwahmie, Secretary General of NUFA. He was joined by Mr. G. Adam Gwesiah, Chairman of NUFA, who approved the statement.
This development marks a critical juncture for Nimba University, a leading government higher education institution in the county. The faculty’s decision puts pressure on university administrators, President Jessie Noah Mongrue, and relevant government authorities to engage with faculty representatives to resolve the impasse. If successful, this strike will be the second by NUFA in 2025, following a prolonged strike at the start of the year over unresolved grievances, including salary increments, improved working conditions, and administrative issues.
The planned strike exacerbates existing challenges, such as low faculty salaries, limited budgetary allocations, and inadequate resources.
Nimba University, established in 2010 and elevated to university status in 2021, has approximately 2,000 students and 300 faculty and staff members. The institution offers a range of programs and has been a beacon of academic excellence in the county and across the nation, Liberia.
As of this report, no official response has been issued by the university administration, leaving the situation uncertain. Students and faculty members are eagerly awaiting a resolution to the crisis.
