Nigeria’s university lecturers have embarked on a two-week warning strike beginning Monday, after negotiations with the Federal Government failed to yield agreement on long-standing issues of welfare, funding, and implementation of a 2009 labour pact.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared the industrial action at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, with National President, Prof Chris Piwuna, saying the government had failed to meet the union’s 14-day ultimatum that expired at midnight.
“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on the ground to stop the implementation of ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike,” Piwuna said. “Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, the 13th of October 2025.”
The standoff marks a renewed breakdown in relations between the Tinubu administration and the union, which has repeatedly accused successive governments of neglecting public universities.
Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa had announced last week that talks with ASUU were in their “final phase”, noting that ₦50bn had been released for Earned Academic Allowances, with another ₦150bn budgeted for university revitalisation projects in 2025.
But ASUU rejected the latest government proposal, describing it as “a total departure from the letter and spirit” of the draft agreement earlier submitted by the Yayale Ahmed renegotiation committee.
“The hurriedly packaged documents were provocative and incapable of dousing industrial tensions which have reached an irreversible pitch across our campuses,” Piwuna said.
The union is demanding the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, payment of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, settlement of promotion and allowance arrears, sustainable funding for public universities, and an end to alleged victimisation of lecturers at several institutions.
According to government sources, the education minister made last-minute efforts to reach ASUU leaders, but “they refused to take his calls”. The ministry insisted its offer addressed the union’s key concerns and accused ASUU of failing to cooperate.
In a joint statement late Sunday, Education Minister Alausa and Minister of State for Education Prof Suwaiba Ahmad urged the union to reconsider its decision, warning that the “no work, no pay” policy would be enforced.
“The government has continued to prioritise the welfare of university staff and the stability of the academic calendar under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu,” the statement read. “Dialogue remains the most effective and sustainable path to resolving disagreements.”
The ministry added that the government “will not abdicate its responsibility to uphold fairness and accountability in the use of public resources”, while reassuring students and parents that efforts were underway to maintain “industrial harmony” in the tertiary education system.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to both sides to resume talks immediately.
“We have been monitoring developments surrounding the industrial action declared by ASUU,” said NANS Assistant General Secretary, Adejuwon Emmanuel. “Nigerian students have endured too many disruptions, and another strike will only worsen their hardship.”
Emmanuel disclosed that NANS President Olushola Oladoja had initiated “high-level consultations” aimed at mediating between ASUU and the government.
While acknowledging ASUU’s “legitimate concerns”, NANS urged the union to “explore other forms of engagement that would not further destabilise the academic calendar”, and called on the government to “show sincerity and urgency” in resolving the impasse.
In a related development, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) announced it was giving the Federal Government six weeks to meet its own demands, citing “measurable progress” in negotiations but warning that unresolved issues could still lead to industrial action.
As university campuses across the country fall silent once again, the recurring confrontation between ASUU and the government underscores the fragility of Nigeria’s higher education system — one chronically beset by broken promises, underfunding, and frustration on all sides.
