ASUU threatens nationwide strike over unpaid salaries, agreement - Punch Newspapers
Academic Staff Union of Universities. Photo: ASUU
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike if the federal government and state governments fail to urgently address outstanding issues affecting university lecturers. ASUU said it could reactivate the strike “without any further notice” over the incomplete implementation of the December 2025 agreement, payment of the remaining 3.5 months of withheld salaries and non-remittance of billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ salaries. The union’s position was contained in a statement sent to our correspondent in the early hours of Friday by its President, Christopher Piwuna, after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council held at the University of Abuja. ASUU said the December 2025 agreement followed more than eight years of negotiations and struggles but had not been fully implemented by the Federal Government and several state governments. “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,” the union warned. It commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and the governments of Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno for commencing implementation of the agreement. The union said Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa had also pledged to commence implementation in September or October, while warning other states to act before their universities were plunged into an “industrial crisis of monumental proportions.” FG pays N1.1bn additional benefits to 175 retirees Federal unity colleges to resume Monday — Education ministry Obafemi Martins plans youth tournament for Tinubu’s campaign On withheld salaries, ASUU acknowledged that the Tinubu administration had paid four of the 7.5 months withheld during the Buhari administration but demanded the immediate release of the outstanding 3.5 months. “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,” it said. ASUU also alleged that pension contributions, cooperative deductions and union check-off dues running into billions of naira had remained unremitted for several months. The union warned that the combination of unpaid salaries, unremitted deductions and poor implementation of the agreement was threatening industrial peace in the universities. “In no mistaken terms, ASUU posits that the non- or haphazard implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement by federal and state governments is a recipe for industrial crisis in Nigeria’s public universities,” it stated. It urged the Federal Government and state governments to act quickly, insisting that it would not accept responsibility if the suspended strike was reactivated. “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,” the union said. Deborah Tolu-Kolawole Deborah Tolu-Kolawole is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with four years of experience covering Nigeria’s vast education sector as well as related areas such as politics, health, security, and labour. She blends rigorous reporting with digital storytelling to bring clarity and insight to complex issues affecting learners, educators, and policymakers. Deborah was a nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize in Journalism, recognising her impactful reporting and contributions to Nigerian media. Her work reflects strong newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to accurate, audience-focused journalism. In addition to her reporting, she is fluent in multiple languages and serves as a contributing member of The Punch editorial board.
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