Varsity Lecturers Convene To Take Final Decision On Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has concluded its latest round of renegotiation meetings with the Federal Government, held between Monday and Tuesday.

The discussions, which ended yesterday, form part of the government’s effort to prevent a fresh shutdown of public universities, following weeks of tension over unmet demands.

The Union is therefore set to hold a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting today to determine whether it will embark on a strike or not.

A senior source in ASUU’s NEC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the union has now shifted its attention to its internal decision-making process and will announce its final decision to the public.

According to the source, “The National Executive Council is set to convene on Wednesday to review the outcome and determine its next line of action.”

LEADERSHIP gathered that the Union would inform the public once the NEC concludes its deliberations, beginning on Wednesday.

This comes amid renewed pressure on the Federal Government after ASUU’s one-month ultimatum elapsed last Saturday.

The ultimatum, issued in October, demanded urgent action on longstanding issues that have strained relations between the union and the government for over a decade.

The Federal Government had scheduled fresh negotiation meetings for Monday and Tuesday in an effort to assure the academic community of its commitment to averting another strike.

Officials familiar with the talks said that both sides revisited contentious areas, including the implementation timeline for agreements previously reached, as well as funding gaps affecting university operations nationwide.

ASUU had earlier suspended its two-week warning strike on 22 October, granting the government a 30-day window to show concrete progress.

The suspension followed intense public concern over the academic future of millions of students who have already experienced repeated disruptions in recent years.

During the 30 days, the union expected visible steps toward addressing critical demands, such as the review of the 2009 ASUU–Federal Government agreement, payment of outstanding salaries and earned academic allowances, and the release of the long-awaited university revitalisation fund.

Union members have consistently argued that Nigeria’s public universities have suffered from chronic underfunding, decaying infrastructure, and policies that undermine academic competitiveness.

ASUU insists that without sincere and sustained investment, the system will remain unable to meet global standards or respond to the country’s development needs.