Union Gives FG and States Ultimatum to Resolve Welfare and Implementation Issues
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that Nigeria’s public universities could face another nationwide strike unless the Federal and state governments urgently resolve outstanding salary, welfare and implementation issues affecting lecturers.
The warning followed an emergency National Executive Council meeting held at the union’s National Secretariat at the University of Abuja on September 5, 2026.
ASUU said key issues include the partial implementation of the December 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement, three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries from the previous administration, unremitted third-party deductions and concerns over university autonomy.
ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, said the union would not accept responsibility for any disruption to academic activities if the issues remained unresolved.
The union said some state university branches were already moving towards industrial action. It commended Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno for commencing implementation of the 2025 agreement, while Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa had pledged to begin implementation in September or October.
ASUU also cited ongoing disputes at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo; Plateau State University; and Sule Lamido University, where branches have announced or commenced industrial action over unresolved demands.
The union said three-and-a-half months of the seven-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld during the Buhari administration remain unpaid. It acknowledged that the Tinubu administration had paid four months but said the outstanding balance continued to impose financial and psychological hardship on lecturers.
ASUU further raised concerns over billions of naira in pension contributions, cooperative deductions and union check-off dues allegedly withheld from lecturers’ salaries without appropriate remittance.
The warning comes days after the Federal Government announced the release of funds for payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance to academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for January to August 2026.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the payment was in line with the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement, but the union maintained that other major elements of the agreement remained unresolved.
ASUU stressed that it had not declared an immediate nationwide strike, but warned that its suspended industrial action could be activated if the government fails to make satisfactory progress.
The union said it remained open to negotiations with the Federal and state governments but urged students, parents, labour leaders and other stakeholders to intervene before the crisis escalates.