The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU has threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike without further notice, accusing the Federal Government and several state governments of failing to fully implement the December 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement after eight years of negotiations.
The resolution followed an emergency ASUU National Executive Council meeting held at the union’s National Secretariat, at the University of Abuja.
In a release signed by ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, the union said lecturers have been left “dagger-drawn with their Vice-Chancellors” each month over uncertain salary payments, and warned that it “will not accept any blame” if it is forced to call out members “within the shortest time possible” over welfare issues including the remaining three-and-a-half months of 2022 withheld salaries and unremitted third-party deductions running into billions of naira.
While condemning the Federal Government’s inaction, ASUU commended some State Governors for implementing the 2025 agreement, singling out Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti for publicly adopting the agreement and apologising for bureaucratic delays.
ASUU also listed Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno as states where implementation has commenced, and noted pledges from Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa to begin in September 2026.
The union warned other Governors “still playing the ostrich” to act honourably, adding that branches in defaulting state universities have been notified to commence strike actions with full NEC backing unless satisfactory progress is recorded.
ASUU also condemned the two-year tenure extension granted to the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, UNIOSUN, Professor Clement Adebooye, by Governor Ademola Adeleke on 1st of September, 2026.
The union described the move as a violation of the UNIOSUN Law, a domesticated version of the Universities’ Miscellaneous Provisions Amendment Act 2012, which stipulates a single five-year tenure with no room for extension. It accused both the Governor and the vice-chancellor, a former ASUU branch secretary at Obafemi Awolowo University, of setting a dangerous precedent that could reignite rancour and undermine university autonomy, urging Professor Adebooye to reject the elongation before his legal tenure ends in January 2027.
On economic issues, ASUU said the government’s attention has shifted to the 2027 general elections following the lifting of the ban on campaigns on 19th August, 2026, while Nigerians face what it calls “growth without development” marked by currency devaluation, collapsing purchasing power and lack of basic amenities.
The union blamed the situation on “slavish adherence” to World Bank and IMF blueprints and declared support for Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC President Joe Ajaero’s call for an immediate review of the National Minimum Wage, proposing that it be indexed to inflation to protect workers’ purchasing power.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
