ASUU threatens nationwide strike over unmet 2009 agreement, unpaid salaries, and poor university funding. Talks set for August 28.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced its readiness to begin what it calls the “mother of all strikes.” This planned nationwide action is a direct response to the Federal Government’s continued failure to implement the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement.
The University of Calabar chapter made this announcement during a press briefing held on Tuesday in Calabar, Cross River State. Speaking at the briefing, the chapter chairman, Dr. Peter Ubi, emphasized the union’s frustration over years of unfulfilled promises. He said ASUU has exhausted all peaceful means to resolve its concerns but has been ignored repeatedly by the Federal Government.
Has ASUU declared strike?
Dr. Ubi stressed that the upcoming strike will commence once the national leadership of ASUU gives the final directive after its August 28 meeting. He insisted that the Federal Government must urgently honour its long-standing commitments to public university staff and the education sector. These commitments include the full renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, adequate and consistent funding for public universities, and institutional revitalization. Other demands include the payment of withheld wage awards, specifically the outstanding 25–35% increase, and three months’ unpaid salary arrears.
What are ASUU demands for settlement
In addition, ASUU is demanding the settlement of over four years of unpaid promotion arrears. They have stated that this is for academic staff across Nigerian universities. The union is also concerned about the non-remittance of deductions meant for third-party institutions such as pension administrators and cooperative societies.
“These issues are not new,” said Dr. Ubi. “The government knows them well and has made numerous promises, but none have been honoured. We’re tired of empty words,” he added. He also criticized the government’s pattern of neglect, saying this neglect has pushed ASUU to the brink of industrial action once again.
Ubi stated that ASUU has used every diplomatic tool available, including dialogue, negotiations, and peaceful protests. Despite this, the government remains unresponsive to the pressing issues facing Nigeria’s higher education system. “The strike is now inevitable if there is no meaningful action from the authorities. We have waited long enough,” he warned.
Dr. Ubi also addressed the proliferation of private universities in Nigeria. He commended the government’s recent decision to place a moratorium on establishing new federal universities. However, he called on authorities to extend that restriction to state and private institutions as well.
According to him, the expansion of universities without proper planning or adequate infrastructure is damaging the quality of higher education. “There are currently 72 federal universities and 159 private universities in Nigeria,” Dr. Ubi revealed. “This means each state and the FCT now has around nine universities on average — not including polytechnics or colleges of education.”
ASUU opposes the rapid expansion of poorly regulated private/state universities.
ASUU believes this rapid expansion of institutions without strong oversight has worsened problems like underfunding, poor facilities, and inadequate staff.
Meanwhile, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) confirmed that the Federal Government has officially imposed a seven-year freeze on new federal universities. This moratorium also applies to polytechnics and colleges of education, aiming to prevent the overstretching of already limited resources. The decision came during the most recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The session, chaired by President Bola Tinubu, saw a presentation from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on the state of tertiary education. Despite the moratorium, the FEC still approved the creation of nine new universities. A decision that has raised concerns within ASUU.
ASUU argues that establishing new universities without fixing existing ones only weakens an already fragile system. They continue to advocate for improved quality, sustainable funding, and genuine commitment to the academic workforce.
