ASUU Threatens Strike Over Government’s Failure to Honour Agreements Since 2013

ASUU has threatened a nationwide strike due to the federal government’s ongoing failure since 2013 to fulfill multiple agreements on funding, salaries, academic allowances, university autonomy, and proper governance, warning that without urgent action, Nigeria’s higher education system will face serious disruption.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has once again raised the alarm over what it describes as the federal government’s persistent and deliberate failure to honour numerous agreements and commitments made with the union over the past decade. In a strongly worded statement delivered by ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, during a press conference at the University of Abuja, the union warned that unless urgent steps are taken to implement the outstanding agreements, a nationwide strike would be inevitable.

Among the key grievances listed by ASUU are the non-payment of salaries withheld during the union’s 2022 strike action, poor and inconsistent funding for the revitalisation of public universities, the delayed payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), and the government’s failure to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, particularly the recommendations of the Nimi Briggs Committee.

ASUU also expressed deep frustration over the continued use of the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which it said has disrupted payments to lecturers on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments, leaving many financially stranded. The union accused the government of neglecting the academic community while prioritizing political interests, pointing to political interference in the appointment of university administrators, unlawful dissolution of governing councils, and the erosion of institutional autonomy as examples of worsening governance in the education sector.

Further compounding the crisis, ASUU criticised the proliferation of universities by federal and state governments without adequate planning or provision of resources, which it described as an unsustainable and politically motivated trend. The union also condemned the misuse and diversion of TETFund resources and called for a comprehensive national education summit to address the root causes of the sector’s decline.

Despite reaffirming its openness to meaningful dialogue and engagement, ASUU made it clear that its patience is wearing thin. It stressed that the time for empty promises is over and that unless the federal and state governments take concrete steps to meet the union’s demands—particularly the full implementation of all Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Memoranda of Action (MoAs) signed since 2013—industrial action would be the last resort to protect the dignity of Nigerian academics and the future of tertiary education in the country.

ASUU concluded by urging Nigerians to understand that its demands are not merely for personal gain but are fundamentally rooted in the struggle to improve the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of higher education in Nigeria, which it described as a cornerstone for national development and global competitiveness.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, LEADERSHIP