The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the federal and state governments to address unresolved labour issues in Nigeria’s public universities or face the risk of another strike. In a statement from its Festus Iyayi National Secretariat Complex, University of Abuja, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, responded to recent remarks by Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, who claimed university strikes would never happen again. Piwuna said such optimism would remain unrealistic without concrete government action. While open to dialogue, the union stressed that words alone cannot solve the long-standing challenges in the sector.
ASUU lamented that lecturers work under difficult conditions—teaching on empty stomachs, conducting research in poorly equipped facilities, and engaging in community service without adequate resources. The union noted that many academics struggle with unpaid bills, children’s school fees, rent, and other financial burdens, yet face criticism for producing “unemployable graduates” and failing to drive innovation.
The union accused successive governments of neglecting the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, which was due for renegotiation since 2012. Despite the Yayale Ahmed Committee submitting a draft renegotiated agreement in December 2024, ASUU said the process remains stalled eight months later. Key issues include staff welfare, funding, university autonomy, and reforms to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
ASUU criticised the politicisation of vice-chancellor appointments, citing the example of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, and accused authorities of pushing lecturers toward strikes only to penalise them with withheld salaries. It also condemned the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as being prone to corruption and unfair to academics.
“Our members are tired of endless memoranda and promises. No memorandum or discussion can take the place of a Collective Bargaining Agreement that fully addresses staff welfare and the conditions for productive work. The time to act is now,” Piwuna stated. The union called on “all genuine patriots” to press the government into taking immediate steps to avert another crisis in the university system.
