ABUJA — Fresh industrial unrest may be looming in Nigeria’s university system as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of failing to fully implement the December 2025 agreement reached with the union.
Following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Modibbo Adama University, Yola, ASUU warned that lecturers nationwide were becoming increasingly frustrated over unresolved welfare issues and could be forced to embark on another strike.
In a statement signed by the union’s President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, ASUU said both federal and state governments had failed to faithfully implement critical aspects of the agreement intended to address long-standing disputes in public universities.
The union listed the unresolved issues to include the withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, unpaid promotion arrears, salary shortfalls linked to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), unremitted third-party deductions, and outstanding arrears of the 25–35 per cent wage award.
Prof. Piwuna expressed concern over what he described as government’s reluctance to address the lingering challenges confronting university lecturers.
According to him, the union remains open to dialogue but warned that failure to act swiftly could trigger another round of industrial action.
“The union appeals to all genuine patriots, well-meaning Nigerians and lovers of Nigeria to prevail on state and federal governments to fully implement the new agreement and resolve other outstanding issues in the interest of parents, students and the nation at large,” he said.
He added that ASUU’s NEC had directed that an emergency meeting be convened in the coming weeks to review developments and decide on the next line of action.
The latest dispute comes barely five months after the Federal Government and ASUU reportedly reached a landmark agreement aimed at resolving the prolonged crisis surrounding the 2009 agreement.
The deal, which took effect from January 1, 2026, was said to include a 40 per cent salary increase for lecturers, improved pension benefits, and enhanced Earned Academic Allowances aimed at stabilising the nation’s public universities and reducing recurring strikes.
However, ASUU maintains that implementation of the agreement has remained inconsistent, with several obligations yet to be fulfilled by the government.
