ASUU Threatens Fresh Strike Over Unfulfilled Government Promises
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning that it may embark on strike action over the Federal Government’s continued failure to honour agreements and address pressing issues affecting Nigeria’s university system.
At a press conference held yesterday at the University of Jos, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, declared that the union had been “pushed to the wall” after more than two years of waiting without meaningful results. He also dismissed the government’s proposed loan scheme for lecturers, describing it as a “poison chalice.”
Unfulfilled 2009 Agreement and Salary Arrears
Prof. Piwuna accused the current administration of employing deliberate delay tactics in renegotiating the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, settling outstanding salary arrears, and implementing revitalisation measures across universities.
“Trust has been destroyed by the government. It is, therefore, up to them to regain it to avert any strike,” he warned.
The union noted that despite the submission of the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed Report in February 2025, the government has failed to act on its recommendations. According to ASUU, this amounts to undermining the principles of collective bargaining—principles Nigeria has pledged to uphold as a signatory to International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
Rejection of Loan Schemes
ASUU further criticised the proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), a loan initiative for lecturers, stressing that what members need is improved wages through the renegotiated agreement, not additional debts.
The union also condemned the unchecked proliferation of universities in the country, arguing that successive governments had turned them into instruments of political patronage rather than institutions of learning.
Nigeria’s Overstretched University System
Currently, Nigeria has 339 universities: 72 federal, 108 state, and 159 private. Yet, many of these institutions still struggle with poor facilities, inadequate funding, and insufficient staffing.
Warning Actions and Next Steps
The ASUU National Executive Council (NEC), after its recent meeting at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, resolved to await the outcome of the government’s planned meeting on August 28 before deciding on the next course of action.
In the meantime, the union has announced plans to stage rallies across campuses next week as a warning signal to the government, underscoring its readiness to escalate action if urgent solutions are not provided.
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