In its reaction to the university lecturers’ decision to embark on strike today , the federal government has cautioned the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) against it, reiterating that the “no work, no pay” policy remains in force.
The minister of education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the minister of state for education, Prof. Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmed, stated this in a press statement released on Sunday by Boriowo Folasade, director press and public relations of the Federal Ministry of Education.
The ministers reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to constructive engagement with ASUU towards a sustainable resolution of all outstanding issues affecting the university system.
Part of the statement reads, “The federal government has demonstrated sincerity, patience, and goodwill in its dialogue with the Union.
“Virtually all the concerns raised by ASUU have been addressed, including the introduction of a substantial percentage of teaching allowance and significant improvements in the conditions of service of academic staff.”
Reiterating the enforcement of existing labour laws, the ministers warned that the administration would not compromise on accountability.
“The ‘no work, no pay’ policy remains an extant labour law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the government will be guided by this law should academic activities be disrupted in the nation’s universities.”
The statement added that the few remaining matters are those that rightfully fall within the jurisdiction of the governing councils of the respective universities, which have been recently reconstituted to handle such internal issues.
While stressing government’s commitment to ensuring that students remain in school, the ministers expressed disappointment that ASUU had chosen to proceed with strike action despite government’s compliance with agreed timelines.
“The government had met the deadline for presenting its position to the union as agreed, yet instead of reverting to the Ministry in continuation of dialogue, ASUU has chosen to proceed with strike action.
“This action does not reflect a spirit of cooperation or fairness to the students and the public, especially given government’s demonstrable commitment and concrete steps already taken.”
The ministers further stated that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government has continued to prioritise the welfare of university staff and the stability of the academic calendar.
“Dialogue remains the most effective and sustainable path to resolving disagreements. Government remains open to engagement at any level to prevent unnecessary disruption in the education sector,” they said.
They assured Nigerian students, parents, and the general public that the federal government remains firmly committed to maintaining industrial harmony in the tertiary education system, while appealing to all academic unions to embrace partnership and dialogue rather than confrontation, in the collective interest of the nation’s higher education system.
They also urged ASUU to reconsider its position and return to dialogue in the best interest of students and the future of Nigeria’s education system. Nigerian students have called for dialogue after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared a two-week warning strike that would start at midnight today.
ASUU President Professor Chris Piwuna, addressing the press in Abuja yesterday, said the action followed the federal government’s failure to act within a 14-day ultimatum earlier issued on 28th September, 2025.
He accused the federal government of insincerity and neglect of the nation’s university system, decrying the government’s consistent refusal to heed its demands.
ASUU listed eight unresolved issues, including the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, release of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, revitalisation funding, unpaid arrears, and the victimisation of lecturers at Lagos State University (LASU), KSU, and Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
Piwuna also described the government’s latest engagement as disappointing, saying what was presented at an emergency meeting on 10th October was nothing to write home about.
“It is regrettable to note that nothing significant has happened to change the position of National Executive Council (NEC) since we last briefed the press on the listed eight items as issues in dispute.
“The issues include the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, release of the withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, revitalisation of universities, and cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University) and FUTO.
“Others are payment of the outstanding 25–35 per cent salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years, and release of withheld third-party deductions (cooperative contributions and union check-off dues).
“There is nothing sufficient on ground to stop the implementation of ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on 28th September, 2025.
“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight (12:01 a.m.) on Monday, 13th October 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive, as agreed at the last NEC meeting,” he said.
Reiterating the union’s call for reform, Piwuna said ASUU’s struggle was for the fundamental transformation of the university system, not tokenism.
He appealed for understanding from students, parents, and Nigerians, urging them to support the union’s push to rescue public universities.
“History will not forgive intellectuals who watch helplessly while the working and living conditions of Nigerian academics further deteriorate,” he warned.
According to the lecturers’ union, the federal government raised members’ hopes of resolving the lingering issues before it held the August 2025 NEC meeting at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), by asking for three weeks of grace to sort things out.
He said it was a hard sell, but the leadership managed to convince NEC to exercise a little more patience.
“The pre-UDUS NEC hope was dashed without a blink. Government agents have again been pleading for more time since the expiry of the three-week promise, with nothing concrete for ASUU leadership to take to their members.
“Why will a government that has been talking to the union for more than one year through its negotiating team now resort to an ‘emergency’ to address a negotiation process which has lingered for over eight years? Is it not a demonstration of bad faith that a government would rubbish wholesale a draft agreement packaged between its representatives and those of ASUU?”
Students Urge Dialogue, Call For Proactive Steps To End Strike
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to both the federal government and ASUU to resolve their differences in the interest of Nigerian students.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday, NANS spokesperson, Comrade Adeyemi Samson, said the association had made several attempts to intervene before the current industrial action began.
“We have, as much as possible, tried to come in before this period. Unfortunately, we have gotten to this stage, and all hope still lies with both parties.”
He said that NANS had utilised several channels to reach both sides, including writing to the government, speaking to the media, and leveraging the informal relationship between the NANS president and the ASUU president for consultation and consolidation.
“They are both from the University of Jos, and we made some efforts. But as far as it is concerned, we are a third party. Yes, we are at the receiving end, but we remain a third party to this matter.”
Samson stressed that mere consultation was no longer enough, stressing that the student leaders would now adopt a more active approach.
“We believe this stage is no longer one where we can just keep consulting. We have to be more proactive and aggressive in our engagement now, both with the government and ASUU, because these two weeks will affect academic calendars across the country. It will cause imbalance,” he said, adding that students preparing to resume would now face disruption.
“Most students who were preparing to resume or have just resumed, whether it’s their upkeep or accommodation, will see these two weeks as a total waste because there’s no benefit,” he said.
He further urged the federal government to be sincere in its commitments and take lessons from past experiences.
“As student leaders, we’ll continue to play our role, and we urge the government to realise the importance of its actions. I still believe in the Minister of Education. Though advanced in age, he has youthful energy and the capacity to act.”
Samson also called for a lasting framework to prevent future crises in the education sector, saying that both ASUU and the federal government must establish a standard policy on how much should be allocated yearly to improve infrastructure, research, libraries, and laboratories in both state and federal institutions.
“The National Assembly should even consider a law binding governments to commit a specific percentage of the budget to education so that it doesn’t depend on goodwill.
“The government should please be more sincere and ready. We appreciate what has been done, but a lot still needs to be done. Investing in education will help address insecurity and other national challenges. We cannot have a better society without well-educated graduates from our tertiary institutions,” Samson stated.
Strike Not in Students’ Interest – NAPTAN
For its part, the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has also appealed to the Federal Government and ASUU to find common ground and end the strike action.
The association’s national president, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, said parents were deeply concerned about the recurring crisis in the nation’s universities.
“Nobody wants the strike to continue. We, as parents, are speaking to both the government and ASUU to sit down and agree on how this issue will be solved.”
Lamenting the lack of sustained dialogue, he called for mutual understanding and compromise from both sides, saying that the recurring stand-offs between both sides were unproductive.
“It’s a question of give and take. Let the government say something, and let ASUU accept whatever comes, at least for a while, so that we can make progress.
“The problem is that everybody stays on his own path. If you keep doing what you’ve done since 1998, it will not take us anywhere. We, parents, will not be happy, and the students themselves will not be happy.”
He added that even ASUU members were not pleased about having to embark on strikes repeatedly.
“I believe even ASUU members are not happy with this situation, but it has become necessary for them to make their point,” he said.
Danjuma urged the Minister of Education to intervene directly and engage the president to take decisive action.
“I am calling on the Minister of Education to have a serious discussion with His Excellency, the President, and convince him to meet with ASUU and reach an agreement. It may not be everything that ASUU wants, but something meaningful should be done,” he added.
As part of measures to avert the strike, the federal government had constituted an expanded negotiation committee to fast-track agreements with all unions in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
However, sources from the Federal Ministry of Education confirmed that the government met and presented the demands to ASUU, but the union did not accept them.
It said the government would re-engage with the union to find a solution to avert the strike.
