By Ayo Kehinde
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike, warning that another shutdown of Nigeria’s public universities could be imminent if the Federal Government and state governments fail to implement their commitments under the December 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement.
ASUU President Chris Piwuna, said the union had become frustrated by the manner in which governments had handled the implementation of the agreement, accusing them of paying what it described as “lip service” to issues that were painstakingly negotiated and agreed upon.
Piwuna said the December 2025 agreement was achieved after more than eight months of relentless struggles and negotiations by the union. He expressed concern that, despite the efforts that went into reaching the agreement, several of its provisions were yet to be satisfactorily implemented by the Federal Government and many state governments.
According to him, ASUU had expected the agreement to provide a framework for resolving some of the longstanding challenges confronting lecturers and Nigerian universities. Instead, he said, delays and partial implementation were creating fresh frustration among university teachers.
The union identified the continued withholding of part of the salaries of lecturers affected by previous industrial action as one of the issues causing serious hardship among its members.
Piwuna acknowledged the decision by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to pay four months out of the seven-and-a-half months of salaries withheld by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He, however, said the outstanding three-and-a-half months had not been paid.
The ASUU president said the non-payment of the balance was subjecting affected lecturers to “untold hardship”, especially amid the difficult economic conditions facing workers across the country.
While appreciating the payment already made by the Tinubu administration, the union urged the Federal Government to complete the payment of the outstanding salaries.
ASUU said it would continue to press for the full implementation of the agreement rather than accept what it considers partial compliance.
Beyond the withheld salaries, ASUU listed unremitted third-party deductions among its major concerns.
The union also expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as disrespect for university laws and autonomy.
According to ASUU, the effective functioning of universities requires respect for their statutory independence and the laws governing their operations.
It further raised concern over the declining quality of Nigerian academics, warning that failure to address the welfare, professional development and working conditions of lecturers could further weaken the country’s university system.
The union maintained that these issues formed part of the broader commitments that government must address to prevent another breakdown in industrial relations.
Despite its criticism of the Federal Government and several state governments, ASUU acknowledged what it described as positive developments in some states.
The union particularly expressed delight over the actions of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, in his capacity as Visitor to the state’s universities.
ASUU said Otti had created a positive impression within the union through his approach to issues concerning the state’s universities.
The union also commended Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno states for commencing implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement. It urged other state governments to follow the example of the states that had begun implementation.
