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ASUU Warns Governments Over Unresolved Issues, Threatens Industrial Action

by admin on | 2026-09-11 13:30:08

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By Muhammad Bala Imam

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged federal and state governments to urgently address outstanding issues affecting university lecturers or risk industrial action.

The Union warned that it may resume its suspended nationwide strike without further notice if the two levels of government fail to address the pending issues.

The warning is part of the resolutions taken at the end of the Union's emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at its national secretariat, University of Abuja, on September 5, 2026.

A statement issued by the ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna on Friday, noted that the federal government and many state governments had failed to properly implement the December 2025 agreement reached with the union after more than eight years of negotiations and industrial struggles.

The union said the situation had been compounded by the continued withholding of part of lecturers’ salaries from 2022, unremitted third-party deductions, alleged interference with university autonomy and laws, and the declining condition of the academic profession.

“Unless immediate and concrete steps are taken to fully and comprehensively address issues bordering on 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,” said the union

ASUU said apart from recent efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to clear outstanding salaries owed by some Federal Universities of Agriculture, there had been no sustainable attempt to resolve its concerns.

It lamented that lecturers were being forced into uncertainty every month over when and how much of their salaries would be paid, resulting in recurring disputes between academic staff and university authorities.

The union, however, commended some state governors for beginning implementation of the 2025 agreement, particularly Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, whom it praised for publicly announcing full adoption of the agreement and apologising for bureaucratic delays that had affected its implementation.

ASUU also acknowledged Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno states for commencing implementation, while noting commitments by Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states to begin implementation in September or October.

It urged other governors to act quickly to prevent their state-owned universities from being plunged into industrial crises.

“Authorities of the concerned universities have been duly notified of the commencement of strike actions in the respective institutions, with the full backing of ASUU-NEC, unless satisfactory progress is recorded,” said the Union.

On the issue of withheld salaries, ASUU said three and a half months remained unpaid out of the seven and a half months’ salaries withheld from its members during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

It acknowledged President Bola Tinubu for releasing four months of the withheld salaries but said the outstanding balance continued to constitute a major source of hardship for lecturers.

“Our members have endured enormous financial and psychological discomfort on account of the withheld income, which has suffered a devaluation of more than 50 per cent between 2022 and now,” ASUU said.

The union equally demanded the immediate release of billions of naira in third-party deductions, including pension contributions, staff cooperative funds and ASUU check-off dues allegedly deducted from lecturers’ salaries but not remitted for several months.

ASUU alleged that the failure to remit the deductions had caused financial losses to its members.