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No Lectures, Only PhD Defenses: SYNES Grips State Universities With Week-Long Strike

Par Kimeng Hilton
20 Jun 2026 21:13
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Lecturers are on strike from June 15-21, 2026 over unpaid allowances. The Ministry of Higher Education says it is working with the Ministry of Finance to resolve the problem.

State university lecturers across Cameroon have entered a week-long warning strike to protest the prolonged non-payment of research allowances. Deeply disrupting academic activities at major institutions, including the University of Yaoundé 1.

Outstanding Allowances
The industrial action, which began on June 15, 2026, and is scheduled to run through June 21, 2026, was called by the National Executive Bureau of the National Union of Teachers of Higher Education, BEN-SYNES.
The union is firmly denouncing the government's failure to pay the Special Allocation for the modernization of research, spanning three consecutive terms. The fourth semester of 2025, and the first and second semesters of 2026. According to the union, this persistent backlog represents an "unacceptable precarization" of university educators.

High Compliance
An internal evaluation report compiled by Prof. Zebaze Togouet Serge, the SYNES Coordinator for the University of Yaoundé 1, reveals that the strike order was massively observed during its first two days. Data collected on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, showed crushing compliance rates across several key establishments of the University of Yaounde I.

University Of Yaounde I Faculties, Schools
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMSB): 96% compliance, with coordinators noting that colleagues remained highly enthusiastic. Faculty of Science (FS): 96% compliance, where out of 54 scheduled teaching units, only two classes were held. Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE): Stable at 70% compliance. And the National Advanced School of Engineering of Yaoundé (ENSPY): 50% compliance.

Exemptions
The strike permits a singular exception: lecturers are allowed to participate exclusively in Doctorat/PhD defense panels. Prof. Zebaze Togouet Serge noted that university teachers remain determined to sustain the industrial action until their requested benefits are paid, especially given the quiet stance of their supervisory authority.

"We Don't Hold The Money," Ministry Clarifies
Reacting to the sweeping disruption, Mr. Nya Gerard, the Head of Communication at the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP), clarified that the delays do not stem from his ministry, but rather from external financial disbursements.
In a phone interview with Cameroon Tribune Online, on June 20, 2026, Mr. Nya Gerard emphasized that the administrative processing has already been handled by MINESUP, leaving the final implementation in the hands of the Treasury. "The Ministry doesn't pay anything. It doesn't pay salaries, it doesn't pay bonuses. It's MINFI [Ministry of Finance] that pays," Mr. Nya Gerard stated.

MINFI Doing Something
He further explained that payments are being rolled out progressively as funds are mobilized by the Ministry of Finance. "The truth is, when we say they haven't paid, it's not that everyone hasn't received it. Some have already received it," he told Cameroon Tribune Online.
According to the communication head, The Director in charge of Dialogue in MINESUP has already formally transmitted the strike notice and demands to the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, for ongoing review.

Fresh Instructions Expected
As the strike proceeds toward its scheduled conclusion on June 21, 2026, SYNES has informed the university community that a fresh communication will be issued over the weekend to dictate the next steps of the corporate movement. If their demands are not met.