The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has threatened to reactivate its suspended nationwide strike without further notice unless the Federal Government and state governments urgently address outstanding issues affecting university lecturers.
The union said the unresolved matters include the incomplete implementation of the December 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement, payment of withheld salaries, unremitted third-party deductions and alleged violations of university autonomy.
ASUU National President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, who issued the warning in a statement on Thursday, said the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, at its emergency meeting on September 5, resolved that members could be mobilised for industrial action if the government failed to respond promptly.
“Unless immediate and concrete steps are taken to FULLY and COMPREHENSIVELY address issues bordering 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,” Piwuna said.
He said that, apart from recent efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to settle outstanding salaries owed lecturers in Federal Universities of Agriculture, there had been no sustained action to resolve the union’s grievances.
“Each month, lecturers have been forced to be dagger-drawn with their Vice-Chancellors over uncertainty of when and what part of their salaries would be paid,” he said.
Piwuna said the Federal Government had paid four months out of the seven-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, leaving three-and-a-half months outstanding.
While acknowledging President Bola Tinubu’s payment of part of the arrears, he said the outstanding salaries had lost substantial value because of the depreciation of the naira.
“We have consistently acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for paying four (4) out of the withheld salaries. However, leaving out the unpaid balance does not give his government the full credit of a labour-friendly administration,” he said.
He added that lecturers had endured “enormous financial and psychological discomforts” because of the withheld income, insisting that the outstanding salaries should be released without further delay.
The union also expressed concern over billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ salaries for pension contributions, cooperative societies and ASUU check-off dues but allegedly not remitted appropriately.
Piwuna warned that continued withholding of the deductions could trigger another industrial confrontation.
“ASUU-NEC is fully prepared to call out its members if nothing concrete is done to address this lingering problem without further delay,” he said.
On implementation of the 2025 agreement by state governments, ASUU commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for adopting the agreement and apologising for bureaucratic delays.
The union also said implementation had commenced in Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno states, while Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa had pledged to commence implementation in September or October.
ASUU, however, condemned the extension of the tenure of Osun State University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Clement Adegbooye, by Governor Ademola Adeleke, describing the move as a threat to university autonomy and the rule of law.
Piwuna warned that the development could set a dangerous precedent for university governance, saying, “should reasons fail to prevail, ASUU shall not hesitate to further challenge the absurdity at UNIOSUN before it gains a notorious national currency.”
He urged the government to act swiftly to avert another disruption of academic activities.
“ASUU-NEC resolved to notify all concerned that the Union may activate its suspended strike action without any further notice if the critical issues raised in this release are not speedily addressed.
“However, Nigerians should not blame ASUU if we are forced to resume the suspended action on account of no satisfactory response from government,” Piwuna said.
