ASUU Threatens “Mother of All Strikes” Over FG’s Failure to Honour Agreements
Jerry Adesewo, Abuja,
Just when many were begining to wodner what exactly the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was doing right to keep the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at bay, the Union has once again raised alarm over the Federal Government’s failure to honour its long-standing agreements, setting the stage for another round of nationwide industrial action that could cripple academic activities across Nigeria’s public universities.
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On Tuesday, lecturers suspended classes and staged coordinated rallies in campuses nationwide to register their displeasure with the government’s “continued insensitivity” to the plight of universities, staff, and students.
Long-Standing Demands Resurface
At the center of the crisis is the 2009 ASUU–FGN Agreement, which the union insists remains largely unimplemented more than a decade later. The lecturers are demanding:
- Full implementation of the 2009 Agreement covering conditions of service, funding, and autonomy.
- Proper revitalization and funding of public universities to address decaying infrastructure and poor research facilities.
- Payment of outstanding salaries, arrears, and promotions owed to lecturers across institutions.
- Rejection of the proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF) loan scheme, which ASUU describes as “a misplaced palliative” that does not address systemic underfunding.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, in a statement released during Tuesday’s rallies, said the government’s attitude amounts to “a deliberate attempt to undermine public university education in Nigeria.”
“We have signed agreements, reached understandings, and held countless meetings, yet government after government has chosen to ignore the realities facing our universities. Enough is enough. This neglect is pushing Nigerian education into collapse,” Piwuna declared.
Students Left in Limbo
These protests has sparked anxiety among students and parents, many of whom fear a repeat of prolonged strikes that in the past have cost undergraduates entire academic sessions.
They are always the victims. Each time ASUU and the government fight, it is our future that is put on hold. We don’t know when we will graduate or if employers will take our certificates seriously anymore.”
Parents have also voiced concern over the financial and emotional toll of repeated disruptions, especially in a struggling economy where many already make sacrifices to keep their children in school.
Ultimatum to the Federal Government
ASUU has now given the Federal Government a 72-hour ultimatum, expiring on August 28, 2025, to take concrete steps toward addressing its demands. If no progress is recorded, the union has vowed to embark on what it described as the “mother of all strikes.”
The planned strike, according to ASUU leaders, will be total, comprehensive, and indefinite — a move that could shut down Nigeria’s entire public university system.
Government Yet to Respond
As of press time, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour had not issued official responses to ASUU’s fresh ultimatum. However, sources within the Ministry hinted that a meeting with ASUU leadership might be convened “soon” to prevent the situation from escalating.
The Federal Government has often cited budgetary constraints as reasons for delays in implementing agreements, but critics argue that political will — not funding alone — is at the heart of the problem.
A Cycle of Crisis
This is not the first time Nigeria’s higher education system has been threatened by industrial unrest. Over the past two decades, ASUU strikes have become almost routine, often lasting months and disrupting academic calendars.
Observers note that while agreements are signed after negotiations, implementation has consistently been weak, leading to recurring disputes.
Government’s repeated failure to honour its word is “a betrayal of Nigeria’s future because every of these strikes erodes confidence in our education system. Young people lose faith, lecturers lose morale, and the nation loses ground globally. Tragically, we keep going in circles, but yet complaining about brain drain.
What Next?
With the ultimatum ticking, all eyes are now on the Federal Government to act swiftly and avert another collapse of academic activities. For now, the atmosphere remains tense, with students uncertain whether to prepare for classes or brace for months of inactivity.
The coming days will be decisive in determining whether Nigeria’s public universities return to normalcy — or descend into another prolonged shutdown.