ASUU Poised for Nationwide Strike Amid Unresolved Welfare Concerns

The decision follows ongoing frustrations over delayed salaries, unpaid allowances, and the stalled renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, as confirmed by ASUU’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on August 21, 2025.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, expressed dismay at the government’s handling of lecturers’ welfare, particularly since the transition from the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS). 

“Our members are enduring significant hardship due to persistent salary delays, sometimes up to 10 days,” Piwuna stated, emphasizing the union’s “No Pay, No Work” policy, which mandates service withdrawal if salaries remain unpaid beyond three days into a new month. 

The union’s grievances extend beyond salary delays. ASUU is demanding the release of the remaining ₦10 billion of the ₦50 billion Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), with only ₦40 billion disbursed so far. 

Additionally, the union seeks improved funding for universities, enhanced working conditions, and the full implementation of the 2009 agreement, which addresses salaries, allowances, and university autonomy. 

“The government’s inaction is pushing us to the wall,” a NEC member from the North West zone told The Guardian, noting that a strike is imminent if demands are not met. 

ASUU’s mobilization follows a July 2025 strike over unpaid June salaries, with branches at the University of Jos and the University of Abuja already halting lectures and statutory meetings. 

Prof. Piwuna clarified that the current action is not indefinite but warned that failure to pay July salaries by month’s end could escalate the situation. “We are not on an indefinite strike yet, but if salaries remain unpaid, we will stop work again,” he told Premium Times. 

The planned strike has raised concerns among students and parents, who fear further disruptions to the academic calendar. 

ASUU’s history of industrial actions, including an eight-month strike in 2022, underscores the recurring tensions with the government. 

The union accuses the Office of the Accountant General of deliberately delaying payments, a claim Piwuna reiterated: “The system works; it’s the handlers who are stalling.” 

As ASUU prepares for nationwide protests and a potential full-scale strike, the union has called on the government to honor its commitments to prevent further setbacks in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. 

With negotiations ongoing, the outcome of upcoming meetings with the federal government’s renegotiation team will be critical in determining whether academic activities grind to a halt once more.