ASUU Threatens To Resume Nationwide Strike Over Unresolved Issues

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to reactivate its suspended nationwide strike if the federal government and state governments fail to urgently resolve outstanding issues affecting university lecturers.

The union said the decision followed a resolution reached by its National Executive Council (NEC) at an emergency meeting held in Abuja on 5 September 2026.

In a statement issued on Friday by ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the union accused the Federal Government and several state governments of failing to fully implement the agreement reached with it in December 2025 after years of negotiations.

Among the issues ASUU said remained unresolved were three-and-a-half months’ withheld salaries, unremitted third-party deductions, alleged breaches of university laws and autonomy, and the worsening conditions of the academic profession.

The union said that, aside from recent efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to settle outstanding salaries owed to lecturers in Federal Universities of Agriculture, there had been no sustained action towards resolving the wider issues.

It said the situation had left lecturers having to engage in recurring disputes with university authorities over uncertainty surrounding the payment of their salaries, including when they would be paid and the amount they would receive.

“Unless immediate and concrete steps are taken to fully and comprehensively address issues bordering the welfare and well-being of Nigerian academics, ASUU-NEC will not accept any blame for calling out its members on a nationwide strike action within the shortest time possible,” the statement said.

The union, however, commended governors who had begun implementing the 2025 agreement in their respective state-owned universities.

It singled out Abia State governor, Alex Otti, for commendation after he publicly announced the full adoption of the agreement and apologised to the union over bureaucratic delays that had affected its implementation.

ASUU also identified Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno as states where implementation had commenced.

According to the union, Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa had committed to beginning implementation in September or October.

It called on other state governors to follow their counterparts, warning that failure to implement the agreement could trigger industrial crises in state-owned universities.

ASUU said the authorities of affected universities had been informed of plans to commence strike actions in their respective institutions, with the backing of the union’s national leadership, if satisfactory progress was not recorded.

The union also faulted the decision of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to extend the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. Clement Adebooye, by two years.

Adeleke announced the extension on September 1 during the inauguration of the university’s reconstituted Governing Council.

ASUU said Adebooye’s current tenure, which was expected to end in January 2027, would now continue until January 2029.

The union argued that the Osun State University Law, under which Adebooye was appointed, stipulates a single five-year tenure for the vice-chancellor and does not provide for an extension.

It described the decision as a dangerous precedent that could weaken the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 2012, which was partly enacted to address controversies surrounding tenure extensions and renewals for vice-chancellors.

ASUU also criticised Adebooye for accepting the extension, noting that he had previously served as a branch secretary of the union at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

The union called on him to reconsider the decision before his legally recognised tenure expires in January 2027.

It warned that it would challenge the extension if the matter remained unresolved, arguing that the decision could encourage other governors to prioritise political interests over legal and ethical considerations.

On the issue of withheld salaries, ASUU said there had been no progress on the outstanding three-and-a-half months owed its members out of the seven-and-a-half months withheld under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The union acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s payment of four months’ salaries but said the remaining balance continued to impose financial and psychological difficulties on lecturers.

It added that the value of the outstanding salaries had fallen by more than 50 per cent due to the devaluation of the naira since 2022.

ASUU urged the federal government to pay the outstanding salaries, saying this would help rebuild lecturers’ confidence in the university system.

The union also raised concerns over billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ salaries for pension contributions, cooperative societies and union check-off dues, which it alleged had not been properly remitted for several months.

It said repeated engagements with the government had failed to resolve the issue of third-party deductions.

ASUU further alleged that the withholding of the funds might be linked to its opposition to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The union warned that it was ready to mobilise its members for industrial action if the issue of the deductions was not resolved.

It also expressed concern that political campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections could divert government attention from workers’ welfare and other pressing governance issues.

The union backed the call by Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero, for an immediate review of the national minimum wage, citing the erosion of workers’ purchasing power amid rising inflation.

It also called for the minimum wage to be indexed to inflation to allow for predictable adjustments in line with increases in the cost of living.

ASUU said the inconsistent implementation of the 2025 agreement, outstanding salaries and other unresolved welfare issues had continued to undermine the stability of the university system.

It appealed to students, parents, labour leaders, media practitioners and other Nigerians to intervene before the situation worsened.

The union said it could not guarantee an uninterrupted academic calendar at the expense of the welfare and survival of its members.

ASUU said its NEC had resolved to notify all stakeholders that it could reactivate its suspended strike without further notice if the outstanding issues were not urgently addressed.

“However, Nigerians should not blame ASUU if we are forced to resume the suspended action on account of no satisfactory response from government,” the union said.