ASUU Urges National Assembly, Stakeholders to Avert Looming Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on key stakeholders—including the National Assembly, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and students—to prevail upon the Federal Government to prevent a nationwide strike by university lecturers.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Akure Zone, Professor Adeola Egbedokun, raised alarm over the Tinubu administration’s alleged failure to address the union’s longstanding demands since assuming office two years ago.
Speaking at a press conference held on Tuesday at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Egbedokun warned that the continued inaction by the government has pushed university lecturers to the brink, with their patience wearing dangerously thin.
He outlined the union’s demands, which include the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable university funding, revitalisation of the tertiary education sector, payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, resolution of over four years of stagnated promotions, remittance of withheld third-party deductions, and an end to the victimisation of ASUU members in some institutions.
“We are prepared to fight back, and the consequences could be dire unless the government acts swiftly and decisively to address our concerns,” Egbedokun stated.
“While we acknowledge the government’s proposed meeting on August 28, 2025, time is running out. Our patience has been exhausted. Trust has eroded. Only concrete action can rebuild it.”
He noted that the union’s National Executive Committee has resolved to keep all options open, cautioning that if the government continues to ignore their demands, it must be ready to face the fallout.
“The ball is squarely in the government’s court,” he said. “If it chooses provocation over responsibility, and continues to gamble with the future of Nigerian universities, it alone will bear the consequences.”
Egbedokun urged all well-meaning Nigerians—including the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), traditional rulers, and the National Assembly—to intervene and urge the government to prevent an avoidable crisis in the university system.
He lamented that, despite the union’s commitment to dialogue and restraint from strike actions for over two years, the government has failed to deliver tangible results.
“Our members are demoralised, financially drained, and professionally stagnant. It is a painful irony that those who educate the nation can no longer afford to educate their own children.”
Egbedokun also criticised the Federal Government for its continued neglect of the report submitted by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiation committee in February 2025, describing the delay as a betrayal of trust and an affront to collective bargaining.
He further warned ASUU members against embracing the government’s new loan policy, which he described as a veiled attempt to entrap academic staff in perpetual financial hardship.
“This so-called loan policy is a dangerous distraction. It is designed to undermine our financial independence, cripple our cooperative societies, and leave members struggling to afford basic needs like healthcare, housing, and education.”
As a show of readiness, ASUU members in the Akure Zone reportedly held peaceful rallies across various campuses on Monday, signalling the union’s preparedness for further action should the government remain unresponsive.