ABUJA — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the Federal Government that public universities nationwide may be shut down indefinitely if its long-standing demands are not urgently met.
The union, which staged protests across several federal universities on Tuesday, called on stakeholders — including the National Assembly, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and students — to prevail on the government to avert another nationwide strike.
ASUU accused the government of insensitivity, describing its recent proposal to offer lecturers loans as a “Greek gift” that would not be necessary if outstanding entitlements and allowances were paid.
At the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the branch chairman, Prof. Idou Keinde, rejected the loan plan, insisting that “governing councils of universities can grant such facilities under existing conditions of service.”
In Akure Zone, Zonal Coordinator Prof. Adeola Egbedokun lamented that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had failed to address ASUU’s demands since taking office. He cautioned that lecturers’ patience had reached a breaking point, warning: “We will fight back and the consequences would be damning, except the government takes decisive action.”
Across campuses — including UNIUYO, UNIJOS, MOUAU, UNIABUJA, AE-FUNAI, UI, UNILORIN, and UNIMAID — lecturers staged peaceful protests, grounding academic activities and sending students home.
At the University of Uyo, ASUU chairperson Prof. Opeyemi Olajide ordered students to vacate examination halls, accusing the government of trying to “destroy public universities the same way it destroyed public primary and secondary schools.”
In Jos, ASUU chairperson Comrade Jurbe Molwus appealed to President Tinubu to “renew the hope” of lecturers, stressing that trust in government had collapsed after eight years of stalled renegotiations.
At the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Prof. Chike Ugwuene slammed the “obsolete” salary structure, noting that a professor’s recommended pay of less than ₦500,000 is far below the African average of ₦1.5 million. He demanded immediate release of ₦150 billion revalidation funds for universities as captured in the 2025 budget.
Similar grievances were aired in Abuja, where ASUU chair Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh revealed that lecturers were owed three and a half months’ salaries, one year arrears of wage awards, and over five years of unpaid promotion arrears.
In Maiduguri, UNIMAID ASUU chair Dr. Abubakar Mshelia described Nigeria’s treatment of intellectuals as “a national disgrace,” lamenting that professors with four decades of service retire on as little as ₦150,000 under the contributory pension scheme.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government expressed optimism that the crisis would not escalate into a full-scale strike. The Ministry of Education’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, disclosed that a delegation led by Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa will meet ASUU leaders on Thursday, assuring that “nothing will be allowed to get out of hand.”
But ASUU leaders across campuses have given government until August 28, 2025, to meet their demands — or risk another paralyzing strike across Nigeria’s public universities.
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