The Academic Staff Union of Universities has kicked against agreements reached between the federal government and the United Kingdom on education, including plans to establish Coventry University in Nigeria.

ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, made the union’s position known at a public lecture organised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Sa’adu Zungur University branch.

Piwuna described the proposed establishment of Coventry University campus in Nigeria as unacceptable, alleging that it was part of a broader agenda that could undermine Nigeria’s university system.

He expressed concern that while Nigerian students face visa restrictions to study in the UK, British institutions are seeking to operate within Nigeria.

According to him, “They have denied Nigerians visas to study in the UK, yet they are coming here to establish universities and take our money. This is another form of colonialism, and ASUU will strongly oppose it.”

The ASUU president further alleged that some foreign universities were facing financial challenges and declining international student enrolment, prompting their expansion into countries like Nigeria.

He insisted that Nigerian universities must be strengthened internally rather than allowing foreign institutions to dominate the sector.

Piwuna also emphasised the need to preserve the committee system in Nigerian universities, warning against excessive concentration of powers in the office of vice-chancellors.

On welfare, the ASUU leader issued a four-day ultimatum to the federal government to implement the agreed new salary structure for university lecturers.

He warned that failure to meet the deadline would attract a response from the union.

“We cannot continue to wait indefinitely for the implementation of the new salary structure. If at the end of this month nothing is done, they will hear from us,” he said.

In her remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Sa’adu Zungur University, Fatima Tahir, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to staff welfare and productivity.

She noted that the university had taken steps to implement agreements reached with the federal government and ensure that the ASUU branch was not financially indebted.

Tahir urged academic staff to reciprocate management’s efforts by remaining committed to their duties and contributing to the growth of the institution.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities has warned the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately implement the newly approved salary structure for university lecturers or face a possible nationwide shutdown of public universities.

The union issued a four-day ultimatum on Thursday, with its president, Christopher Piwuna, saying failure to act within the deadline would trigger a strong response.

Speaking at Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State, Piwuna said the government must begin payment under the new salary arrangement without further delay.

“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the federal government to commence payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” he said.

The warning comes months after ASUU and the federal government signed a renegotiated agreement in January, aimed at resolving long-standing disputes and preventing the recurring strikes that have plagued Nigeria’s university system.

At the heart of the agreement is a revised salary structure designed to improve lecturers’ welfare and finally address issues stemming from the controversial 2009 FG-ASUU pact, which remained largely unimplemented for years.

Despite initial optimism from the union that the deal would mark a turning point, ASUU says there has been little progress. Piwuna recently disclosed that many federal universities are struggling to pay salaries, with some unable to fully pay January wages and others yet to pay for February.

The crisis recently escalated at the University of Lagos where lecturers embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries before suspending the action after discussions with the institution’s management.

According to ASUU, the delay in implementing the new pay structure is linked to practical challenges, including the slow passage of the 2026 national budget.

With the ultimatum now in effect, pressure is mounting on the government to act quickly and avert another disruption to academic activities across the country’s public universities.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that it will resume its nationwide strike if an agreement is not reached with the Federal Government at the expiration of its one-month ultimatum.

ASUU Kano Zonal Coordinator Abdulkadir Muhammad gave the warning on Monday in Kano during a news conference after the zone’s meeting.

The lecturers in October suspended their warning strike with a month-long ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet their demands, which centred around their welfare and providing a conducive teaching and learning environment.

Muhammad decried what he described as a sluggish approach to renegotiating key agreements aimed at revitalising Nigeria’s public university system.

The meeting had representatives from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria; Bayero University Kano (BUK); and Kaduna State University (KASU).

Others were Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology (ADUSTECH), Wudil; Federal University Dutse (FUD); Northwest University (NWU), Kano; and Sule Lamido University (SLUK), Kafin Hausa.

Muhammad said this followed the report presented at ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Nov. 8 and 9 at Taraba State University.

He said NEC expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the ongoing renegotiation between the union and the government, describing it as a major obstacle to concluding the process meaningfully.

He said the suspension of the strike in October was meant to create an enabling environment and a gesture of goodwill toward Nigerians.

“However, our hope for a holistic and timely resolution of the issues is increasingly being dashed.

“It is unfortunate that some government functionaries employ different tactics to undermine the renegotiation process and misinform the public on the state of our engagements,” he told newsmen.

He said that the government had yet to show genuine commitment to improving lecturers’ welfare or addressing the conditions that fuel brain drain in the university system.

“What government has offered will neither improve the working conditions of academics nor attract scholars from other countries to our universities,” he said.

According to him, it is unfortunate that some government officials claim that ASUU demands have been met.

He urged the Federal Government to place a moratorium on the establishment of state universities, as it did for federal universities.

“Governors have cultivated the habit of establishing universities in their states without commitment to funding them,” he said. (NAN)

Meanwhile, ASUU also declared on its social media handle, X (formerly Twitter) that all universities in the country would be shutdown from Friday.

“ALL UNIVERSITY (Sic) WILL BE CLOSED NATIONWIDE TILL FURTHER NOTICE ON FRIDAY!” – it said.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Sunday declared a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike across all public universities in Nigeria.

The announcement was made by the National President of the Union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, at an ongoing press briefing in Abuja on Sunday at the University of Abuja.

“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on the ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th September 2025.

“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, the 13th October, 2025.

 “The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting,” Piwuna said.

The latest standoff between the university lecturers and the Federal Government comes despite ongoing negotiations aimed at averting another round of industrial action in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

On Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed in Abuja that the government had entered the final phase of talks with ASUU and other unions to resolve lingering disputes over welfare, funding, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

Alausa noted that the Tinubu administration had already made significant progress with the release of N50bn for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, while another N150bn had been captured in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches.

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Activities in public universities across the country could be disrupted soon as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government within which to address its seven-point demands.

The union said the decision followed a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), which was held on Sunday at the University of Abuja. The National President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known in a copy of the strike notice he signed and made available to newsmen yesterday in Abuja.

“At the National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Abuja on September 28, 2025, the union decried the neglect of the university system and the government’s consistent refusal to heed to its demands.

“Accordingly, ASUU has given the Federal Government of Nigeria an ultimatum of 14 days within which to address these issues. If at the end of the 14-day ultimatum, the Federal Government fails to address these issues, the union may have no option but to, first, embark on a two-week warning strike and, thereafter, a total and indefinite strike,” Piwuna said in the notice.

The ASUU President listed the seven-point demands of the union to include re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement; sustainable funding of universities; revitalisation of universities; victimisation of ASUU members in Lagos State University (LASU), KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO).

Others are outstanding 25–35 per cent salary arrears; promotion arrears for over four years, as well as third-party deductions. It would be recalled that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, had set up a committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Abel Enitan, to look into a proposal for ASUU, in a bid to ensure stability across universities.  However, the committee has yet to make any decision known to the public.

In the meantime, stakeholders gathered in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, yesterday to assess the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) on its strengths and weaknesses.

They also deliberated on ways to enhance the essence of the Fund’s establishment in 2011. At the 2025 TETFund Board of Trustees Townhall meeting for North-Central, the participants, mainly actors in the education sector, including heads of tertiary institutions and state government officials, appreciated President Bola Tinubu for injecting enough vigour into the Fund’s optimal performance.

The Rector of Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kamoru Kadiri, agreed that the school had never enjoyed better attention and support before the creation of TETFund.

He said his institution has benefited from over N4 billion in grants and support for research, infrastructural development, as well as maintenance, workshop and general capacity building businesses.

The Guardian

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The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has revealed that a federal university in Nigeria has about 1,200 staff members despite having less than 800 students.

Mr Alausa’s comments came as he tried to justify the Nigerian government’s decision to place a seven-year ban on the establishment of additional federal tertiary institutions.

Speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the presidential villa on Wednesday, the minister described such situations as a waste of government resources.

“Let me give you specific examples of one university in one of the regions in the country. They have less than 800 students, and they have a staff strength of 1200,” he said.

“This is the commonality in our federal institutions. Several federal universities today have less than 2000 students. So, it’s just a waste of government resources.”

Mr Alausa did not name the university. However, it is likely to be one of the newly established federal universities.

Premium Times reported how the government created more than eight universities in less than two years.

He said the challenge with Nigeria’s tertiary institutions was not access, noting that the government would rather improve the quality of the existing ones.

Mr Alausa had directed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), an intervention agency for Nigerian tertiary institutions, to use the institutions’ 2025 funding for the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.

The minister earlier decried the proliferation of bills for the creation of universities at the National Assembly, calling on the lawmakers to stop considering such bills.

According to him, there were over 200 bills seeking the creation of federal universities in parts of the country.

Funding crisis in tertiary institutions

Meanwhile, the existing Nigerian tertiary institutions currently struggle with underfunding from the federal government.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the largest lecturers’ union in the country, had routinely decried the proliferation of universities.

ASUU said the government had developed a habit of establishing universities, leaving their funding entirely to TETFund, straining the intervention agency’s resources.

Also, persistent underfunding has remained a key source of conflict between university workers and the government.

ASUU recently warned of an imminent strike over the government’s failure to conclude the renegotiation of an agreement with the union.

The agreement, which largely covers funding for the universities and the academics’ welfare, was first signed in 2009 with an agreement of a period of renegotiation.

However, renegotiation efforts in 2013, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2024 have stalled with successive governments failing to sign the draft agreements.

The last committee, inaugurated in October 2024 and chaired by the Pro-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Yayale Ahmed, submitted its draft report to the government eight months ago.

But the government has yet to sign or begin the implementation.

Premium Times

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The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has announced that it has directed all its branches nationwide to suspend their services due to the delay in the payment of June 2025 salaries.

The union cited the implementation of its “No Pay, No Work” resolution as the reason for this action.

ASUU branches at two federal universities- the University of Jos and the University of Abuja have already begun strike in line with the directive.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, confirmed the development to Tribune Online on Monday in Abuja, explaining that the institutions awere merely implementing a resolution by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC), which mandates that if salaries were delayed by more than three days in any month, members should suspend their services until the payments were made.

Piwuna criticized the indifferent attitude of government officials toward the matter of lecturers’ salaries, which he described as meager.

He noted that ever since university workers were moved from the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), union members have faced considerable hardship as a result of delayed salary payments.

He revealed that the union’s leadership had engaged with key government officials, including the Minister of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation, but these efforts yielded no positive outcome. Consequently, the ASUU NEC decided to implement the “No Pay, No Work” policy.

He said: “What they are doing is just enforcing a NEC resolution. We have agreed at NEC that our members are going through a lot since our migration out of the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System. Certainly, our salaries are delayed for a week and sometimes 10 days before our members receive the paltry amount we get to help us carry out our duties well.

“Therefore, we agreed that if there is no pay, there will be no work,” Piwuna said.

On whether other universities are joining the strike, the ASUU President said all institutions that have not been paid are expected to withdraw their services, insisting that this was the resolution at NEC and the only way to address the challenge, which he noted was being deliberately caused by some government officials, especially at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

He stated that any institution yet to receive its payment would also join the action, emphasizing, “we are tired of repeatedly addressing this issue.”

“We have spoken to the relevant authorities—the minister is aware, the Office of the Accountant General is aware. All those concerned are aware that this thing has been happening.

“We’ve had meetings with them to express our dissatisfaction with the way our salaries are being paid, and they have not taken any action. We want to work, but we cannot because they have not allowed us to work,” he stated.

Piwuna insisted that the government has no valid excuse for the salary payment delays, pointing out that there are no problems with the payment platform being used.

He explained that once the funds eventually reach the universities, there have been no complaints of underpayment or non-payment. “This means the payment platform itself is not the issue. The delay is simply a deliberate act by the Office of the Accountant General to hold back the release of the funds,” he said.

“The platform is working well, but those who make it work are not willing to make it work. We think it’s a deliberate act; that is the point we are making,” the ASUU President added.

He, however, pointed out that while salary delays are the union members’ most pressing concern at the moment, the government must also urgently release the outstanding N10 billion in Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) to prevent another round of industrial action.

He pointed out that although the Federal Government was obligated to pay lecturers N50 billion in outstanding Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), it has so far released only N40 billion, leaving an unpaid balance of N10 billion.

“On the EAA you talked about, the total amount was N50 billion, and what they gave to us is N40 billion. N10 billion is still outstanding. We hope that this is paid quickly so that we do not have to fight over it,” the ASUU President said.

Jurbe Molwus, Chairman of the ASUU branch at the University of Jos, announced that union members at the institution had withdrawn their services due to the delay in receiving their June 2025 salaries.

Molwus said this followed the National Executive Council resolution directing branches to take action when salaries are not paid by the third day of a new month, and the congress affirming the position. He said union members have abstained from lectures and statutory meetings.

The chairman added that whenever salaries are not paid by the third day of the month, lecturers would continue to withdraw their services until the payments are made.

He also said the strike monitoring team of the branch had been activated to ensure compliance.

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Enugu – The seamless academic activities that has projected the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, as the best among its contemporaries in the country could be punctured as the unions in the university have threatened to embark on an I definite strike from Saturday, January 18, 2025.

The threat to embark on the industrial action was contained in a circular issued by the the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of all unions on campus dated 17th December, 2024.

According to the letter tagged “Notice of Strike/Industrial Dispute”, jointly signed by all the chairmen and Secretaries of all the four unions on campus – Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT); Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU – and addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, noted that the decision to embark on Indefinite strike was the management’s failure to respond to their demands .

The unions noted that should the management fail to act on their demands by defraying the outstanding arrears owed to ESUT workers at the expiration of the one month notice, between December 18 2024 and January 18 2025, the unions may not have any other option than to embark on indefinite strike

The circular reads;

NOTICE OF STRIKE/INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE

The Joint action Committee of all unions on Campus hereby wish to notify you and your management that the patience of all Esut workers who are represented in all the unions on Campus have been stretched Beyond their elasticity Limit.

It is close to (3) years (three) since you assumed office as the vice-chancellor of our premier University. The unions had on several occasions brought to your notice that we are being owned backlog of arrears of entitlements but unfortunately, all our appeals to you and your management to start addressing this demands has fallen on deaf ears.

Sir, the purpose of this communication is to notify you that you have between today, 17th day of Dec. 2024 and 18th day of Jan. 2025 to defray the outstanding arrears owed to Esut workers.

At the expiration of this one month notice, the unions may not have any other option than to embark on indefinite strike

Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU), Bauchi, has embarked on an indefinite strike to demand improved working conditions from the university’s administration.

The announcement came after an emergency congress held at the Yuli Campus in Bauchi. Comrade Awwal Hussain Nuhu, the ASUU Chairperson for the SAZU branch, said the union had exhausted all available mechanisms to resolve the issues, but efforts to engage the university’s management and government yielded no results.

“After extensive deliberations, a member proposed a motion for a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike action, which was seconded by another member,” Nuhu stated. The congress then passed a resolution to begin the strike at 12:00 PM on Friday, November 29, 2024.

He emphasized that during the strike, members are directed to halt all academic activities, including teaching, marking, meetings, and accreditation processes, until further notice. The decision underscores the union’s frustration over what it perceives as a lack of readiness and commitment by the authorities to address its demands.

ASUU has called on all its members at SAZU to comply fully with the resolution, as the strike will persist until the union’s concerns are adequately addressed.

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By Timothy Nwobodo

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT) ESUT branches have commended the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie on his evidential two years administration and promised to sustain their respective support.

The two unions through their various leaders made the commendations in separate interviews with ESUT Monitor.

 ASUU Chairman in ESUT, Professor Chinedu Aguba described Prof Okolie as a “God sent” to ESUT disclosing that his two years in office have helped to consolidate unionism in the institution.

He noted that as the former chairman of the union in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof Okolie has brought his wealth of experience to bear in ensuring a smooth and healthy relationship between the management and the ASUU through timely release of their checkoff dues, regular payment of staff salary, and promotion of deserving staff as well as inclusive administration.

“I am surprised that the Vice-Chancellor has clocked two years in office, I feel like he just started yesterday. The fact is that I regard him as God sent in ESUT because the past two years have been pragmatically evidential in ESUT. The Vice-Chancellor has left no one in doubt about his vision for ESUT.

“As a former chairman of our union in UNN where he came from, he understands the structure of ASUU and has been able to create a smooth and healthy relation between the management and the union. For the past two years, our checkoff dues are released timely, our members’ salaries are paid and those who are due for promotion have been elevated, we have not been owed a dime. These are evidential and the cardinal principles that sustain effective unionism in ESUT unlike what we used to have before. He is a visionary leader and ASUU will always be by his side to sustain the momentum” he said.

On her part, the Chairperson, NAAT, ESUT Branch, Comrade Onyia Anthonia Nkeiruka, lauded the ESUT Management under Professor Okolie in the past two years in sustaining the dreams of the founding fathers dreams as well as bringing innovations to the school.

Comrade Onyia noted that in the past two years, unlike what were obtainable prior, her members have not been owed their monthly remuneration adding that their checkoff dues has also be regularly released to enable them sustain their association.  

“The entire members of the National Association of Academic Technologist (NAAT), ESUT Branch felicitate with you, our amiable Vice-Chancellor, on your two years in office. You have made a landmark within these few years which include: payment of bulk of arrears of checkoff dues, promotion of our members and salaries owned to the unions and workers of ESUT.

“ESUT workers now come to work as at when due, and so many other innovative achievements. No wonder you are called “Talk and Do” Vice-Chancellor. Our Great leader, NAAT will always be supportive of your administration to take our university to greater heights,” she said.

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