After months of relative calm in Nigeria’s public universities, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has once again embarked on industrial action—this time, a two-week warning strike—accusing the Federal Government of failing to fulfill long-standing agreements.
The strike, which commenced at midnight on Monday, October 13, 2025, was announced by ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, during a press briefing in Abuja. The union insists that the federal government ignored its 14-day ultimatum and made no meaningful progress on critical issues affecting the university system.
Meanwhile, the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has distanced itself from the strike, saying its members would remain at work, insisting there was “no reason to declare a trade dispute.”
According to Piwuna, 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 revitalisation of public universities;
- And the alleged victimisation of lecturers in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and FUTO.
He lamented that despite repeated appeals and even a letter from the Ministry of Education dated September 30, 2025, the government failed to act.
ASUU’s NEC has now directed all branches nationwide to withdraw their services, warning that if the government does not address their grievances within the two-week window, the action will escalate into a total and indefinite strike.
Government: “ASUU acted in bad faith”
However, government officials have described ASUU’s decision as a “calculated act of sabotage.”
Sources in the Federal Ministry of Education revealed that only days before the strike, the government had renewed its commitment to resolving all pending issues through dialogue. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Deputy Chairman of the FG Negotiating Team, Senator Lekan Tejuoso, reportedly reached out to ASUU’s leadership to schedule an urgent meeting to prevent the strike—but their calls allegedly went unanswered.
Government insiders say President Tinubu had already approved key proposals addressing lecturers’ welfare and funding concerns, with the expanded renegotiation panel set to finalise details.
“But ASUU simply shut the door on dialogue,” a senior official said. “They refused physical meetings, ignored phone calls, and went ahead to declare a strike while negotiations were still open.”
Officials now accuse ASUU of pre-planning the strike despite the government’s “good faith” efforts.
CONUA and NANS react
CONUA’s National President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, reaffirmed that his members were not part of the strike, saying:
“We recently held congresses nationwide, and our members resolved that there is no reason to declare a trade dispute. We want both vice chancellors and the government to respect our decision.”
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also expressed concern over the disruption, urging both sides to find a quick resolution. NANS PRO, Comrade Adeyemi Samson Ajasa, revealed that the student body had earlier tried to mediate between ASUU and the government, leveraging its close ties with the University of Jos—home to both the ASUU and NANS presidents.
A familiar cycle
The latest strike has once again thrown Nigeria’s higher education calendar into uncertainty, rekindling fears of another prolonged shutdown.
Observers say while ASUU insists it is fighting for the soul of public education, its confrontational approach risks alienating students and the public.
For now, the federal government maintains that the door to dialogue remains open—but the standoff underscores a deepening mistrust between both sides, and another chapter in the unending struggle over the future of Nigeria’s universities.
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