Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ilorin chapter, on Tuesday, staged a peaceful rally to draw the attention of the federal government to the plight of university teachers.
The lecturers said the rally was aimed at drawing the attention of the nation to a looming crisis in “our universities system” over the delayed implementation of agreements the federal government reached with ASUU since 2009.
The protesting lecturers wielded placards with inscriptions such as “Honour and implement your agreement with ASUU,” “We demand for improved facilities in our universities,” “University workers are not slaves and increase budgetary allocation for education,” among others.
ASUU Chairman in the University, Dr Alex Akanmu called on the public to prevail on the government to accede to all demands made by the Union to avert another disruption of academic calendars in the universities.
“As peace-loving as we are, we can no longer allow the welfare of our members to be subjected to the delay tactics of this government. We love our country as patriots, but we value the sacrifices that our members have made,” Akanmu said.
ASUU called on the federal government to address re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, sustainable funding and revitalisation of universities, university autonomy, outstanding 25-35 percent salary arrears and third-party deduction, promotion arrears for over four years, non-payment and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowance in Public universities.
“Renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement is public knowledge that our salaries have remained virtually stagnant for the past sixteen (16) years, despite the clear understanding that the 2009 renegotiated agreement would be reviewed every three (3) years.
“This continued inaction has further pauperised Nigerian academics in comparison to their global counterparts. It is important to stress that ASUU has not forgotten that all these renegotiation efforts—initiated by the federal government itself—have led nowhere, as the resulting draft agreements were never implemented.
“A true test of the government’s sincerity now lies in how it handles the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed Report, submitted since February 2025, which encapsulates all contentious issues and reflects a consensus with our union. Our members are increasingly frustrated with the government’s delay tactics—the so-called ‘keep them talking’ syndrome.
“The union is well aware of the planned meeting scheduled for August 28, 2025, but the prevailing sentiment among our members is clear: they are no longer willing to be dragged along endlessly, without tangible outcomes.
“The current state of our university system urgently demands attention due to years of persistent neglect and visible decline that have nearly brought the sector to its knees. While other countries steadily advance by allocating the UNESCO-recommended 15–26% of their national budgets to education, Nigeria continues to fall short—barely reaching seven percent in the 2025 budget,” Akanmu said.
