Honour Agreement Or Face Consequences, Lecturers Tell Govt

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the federal government to honour its agreements with university lecturers or face another nationwide strike.

The warning was issued at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Taraba State University, Jalingo, where members were briefed on the latest offers from the government’s negotiating team.
In a statement signed by ASUU president, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the NEC expressed concern over what it described as the government’s back-and-forth approach to negotiations, warning that continued indecision could have serious consequences.

It is worth recalling that at an emergency NEC meeting on 21 October 2025, the union suspended a warning strike despite describing the government’s offers as grossly insufficient.

The decision to suspend the strike was made to allow further engagement and in recognition of support from students, parents, the media, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and other well-meaning Nigerians.

A one-month window was granted to the government to conclude renegotiations in good faith.
However, two weeks into the suspension, the NEC reviewed progress and rejected the proposed salary increment as inadequate to reverse the long-standing brain drain in the nation’s universities.

While some non-monetary aspects of the agreement have seen progress, ASUU noted that salary and conditions of service remain critical issues requiring urgent attention.

We therefore hope that our expectations, as well as those of Nigerians, for a swift and comprehensive resolution, are not dashed.

“ASUU criticised government officials for undermining the negotiation process through misrepresentation and selective implementation of agreements. The partial payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017, and the release of third-party deductions, were described as confidence-boosting exercises rather than solutions to the core issues.

“The union warned that presenting these measures as significant progress misrepresents reality and threatens the integrity of the negotiation process.

“The remaining days to the expiry of the one-month window given to the government must be judiciously used to achieve a holistic resolution of the issues, particularly to uplift the living conditions of academics in Nigeria,” the statement said.

The NEC emphasised that the remaining days of the one-month window must be used wisely to achieve a holistic resolution, particularly to improve the living conditions of academics. “This is not too much to ask,” the union said.

The union also highlighted that, contrary to government claims of economic hardship, federal and state revenues have grown substantially in recent years.

According to data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, state revenues rose from N3.92 trillion in 2022 to N5.81 trillion in 2024, while federal revenues increased from N3.42 trillion to N4.65 trillion over the same period. ASUU insisted that the problem is a lack of political will, not a lack of funds.

The Union called on traditional rulers, community leaders, students, the NLC, and civil society to continue impressing on the government to act responsibly and provide lecturers with a living wage.