Strike Looms As ASUU Accuses FG Of Sabotaging Negotiations Process
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has intensified its warning to the Federal Government, insisting that a Nationwide shutdown of Public Universities may be unavoidable if ongoing negotiations continue to stall.
Speaking at a Press briefing held at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Professor Biodun Olaniran, accused the Federal Government of deliberately frustrating efforts to conclude the long-awaited renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement.
Olaniran said Government Officials have consistently misled the public with inaccurate information instead of prioritizing a credible review of University salary structures amid Nigeria’s deepening inflation.
The review, currently before the Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiation committee, is expected to replace the 16-year-old Consolidated University Salary Structure (CONUASS).
ASUU had embarked on a two-week warning strike on October 13, 2025, but suspended the action five days before its expiration following interventions from students, parents, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and other stakeholders.
The Union then issued a one-month window, aligning with the NLC’s ultimatum, for the Federal Government to conclude talks and settle all unresolved matters.
But with eight days left before the deadline lapses, Olaniran said the Government has shown “no real commitment,” relying instead on propaganda.
He noted that although part of the four-year promotion arrears and some third-party deductions—such as pension contributions and cooperative dues—had been released, these gestures addressed only a fraction of the union’s core demands.
The Ibadan Zone, which comprises the University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, LAUTECH, Osun State University, Kwara State University, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, joined the National leadership in expressing deep concern.
According to Olaniran, ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC), which met on November 8 and 9 at Taraba State University, also reviewed what it described as a pattern of “selective implementation” by both Federal and State University Authorities.
He stressed that Nigerian lecturers remain among the lowest-paid in the region, while their political counterparts enjoy some of the world’s highest remuneration.
He argued that the issue is not the Nation’s capacity to fund education but the persistent lack of political will.
The Union listed several unresolved matters, including the unpaid three-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld after the 2022 strike, and unpaid Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) in multiple state universities.
Olaniran cited Osun State University’s failure to release withheld salaries dating as far back as 2018 and 2020, as well as LAUTECH and KWASU’s outstanding EAA and promotion arrears.
He described the situation as “anti-labour and inhumane,” warning that unless the Federal Government responds decisively, Public Universities may once again be plunged into a major academic disruption.
ASUU appealed to parents, students, and the wider public to mount pressure on Government Officials to avert what could become another prolonged strike across Nigerian Universities.
