ASUU vs Federal Government - Another Strike Looms

 

-Special Report-

ASUU Slams Federal Government Over Unfulfilled Agreements, Threatens Fresh Strike

Nigeria’s fragile higher education system is once again teetering on the edge of disruption as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government over what it describes as a persistent failure to honor long-standing agreements. At a press conference held at the University of Jos, ASUU National President Dr. Christopher Piwuna accused the government of reneging on commitments that date back more than a decade, including the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement which remains largely unimplemented.

Dr. Piwuna lamented that university lecturers have endured over two years of unmet promises, delay tactics, and deteriorating working conditions. Among the unresolved issues are unpaid salary arrears, withheld promotions, poor welfare for retired lecturers, and the chronic underfunding of public universities. He emphasized that ASUU has made repeated efforts to engage the government through formal correspondence and peaceful dialogue, but these overtures have been met with silence. “It is always the Federal Government that pushes ASUU into strike action,” he said, warning that the union may be left with no choice but to embark on another nationwide strike if the situation remains unchanged.

Adding to the tension, ASUU rejected the government’s proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund loan scheme, describing it as a diversionary tactic that fails to address the core needs of academic staff. “Our members don’t need loans. What we need is the implementation of agreements that will restore our purchasing power,” Piwuna stated, highlighting that the government still owes lecturers three months’ salaries.

The union also criticized the continued establishment of new universities without adequate funding, arguing that this trend undermines academic standards and contributes to Nigeria’s declining global university rankings. ASUU expressed deep concern over the treatment of retired professors, some of whom reportedly receive as little as ₦150,000 monthly, an amount rendered nearly worthless by inflation and the rising cost of living.

In a parallel press briefing at the University of Ibadan, ASUU’s Ibadan Zone echoed these grievances. Zonal Coordinator Professor ‘Biodun Olaniran warned that the calm within the university system should not be mistaken for resolution. “Our members have exercised remarkable patience, but that patience is wearing thin. Another strike is looming, because the government continues to neglect its responsibilities,” he declared.

Olaniran pointed to the government’s refusal to implement the outcomes of successive negotiations, including the 2021 draft agreement led by the late Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs and the Yayale Ahmed Report submitted in early 2025. He also condemned the government’s decision to dissolve university governing councils and replace them with political loyalists, calling it a direct assault on university autonomy.

ASUU has announced plans to stage protests across university campuses in the coming week, pending the outcome of a scheduled government meeting on August 28. The union insists that time is running out and that the future of Nigerian universities is being jeopardized by continued government inaction. As the threat of another strike looms, students, parents, and academic staff brace for what could be yet another chapter in Nigeria’s long history of educational instability.