ASUU declares two-week nationwide strike
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike across all public universities in Nigeria.
National President of the Union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made the announcement at an ongoing press briefing in Abuja on Sunday at the University of Abuja.
He said, “Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th September 2025.
“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, the 13th October, 2025.
“The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting.”
He said the unresolved issues include: ”The conclusion and signing of the renegotiated 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement; payment of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries; sustainable funding and revitalization of public universities and end to the victimization of lecturers in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and FUTO,
Others are “Settlement of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears; payment of promotion arrears spanning over four years, and release of withheld third-party deductions such as cooperative contributions and union dues.”
Prof. Piwuna noted that despite several appeals and assurances from government officials, including a letter dated September 30, 2025, from the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, nothing tangible had been achieved.
He disclosed that the outcome of an emergency meeting of the FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement Renegotiation Committee held on October 10 was disappointing, describing the documents presented by the government as “provocative and inconsistent” with previous drafts.
“The hurriedly packaged documents were a total departure from the spirit of the Nimi Briggs-led renegotiated agreement and incapable of dousing industrial tension across campuses,” the ASUU president said.
ASUU accused the government of bad faith and deliberate delay tactics, lamenting that months of negotiation had yielded no results.
“It is a betrayal of historic responsibility if we continue to fall for the government’s deception and manipulation,” Piwuna declared. “What is needed is the fundamental transformation of our university system, not token promises.”
The union appealed for understanding from students, parents, and the public, stressing that its struggle was aimed at saving Nigeria’s university system from collapse.
The latest standoff between the university lecturers and the Federal Government comes despite ongoing negotiations aimed at averting another round of industrial action in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed in Abuja that the government had entered the final phase of talks with ASUU and other unions to resolve lingering disputes over welfare, funding, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
Alausa noted that the Tinubu administration had already made significant progress with the release of N50bn for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, while another N150bn had been captured in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches.
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