960
By Myke Agunwa
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a two-week warning strike, accusing the Federal Government of failing to honor its promises and showing “insincerity” in ongoing negotiations.
ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, made the announcement on Sunday during a press conference at the union’s national secretariat, University of Abuja. He said the strike would commence at midnight, with members across the country directed to withdraw their services.
“The two-week warning strike is to give the government one last opportunity to conclude all outstanding issues.
“We have been patient enough, but the government continues to play politics with the future of Nigerian education” Piwuna said.
The ASUU boss noted that despite several meetings with government representatives, there had been little progress on issues relating to the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement, unpaid earned academic allowances, withheld salaries, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as the preferred payment platform for lecturers.
He lamented that the Bola Tinubu-led administration, despite campaign promises, has not demonstrated the political will to address the systemic crisis in the education sector.
Recall that during the 2023 presidential campaign, the President pledged to end the cycle of strikes in the university system, promising to prioritize education funding, autonomy, and staff welfare. He also promised to review the salary structure of university lecturers and ensure prompt implementation of existing agreements to prevent further disruptions.
Tinubu had stated that “no child of the poor should spend eight years studying for a four-year course,” referencing the recurring industrial actions that have crippled academic calendars for decades. However, ASUU insists that two years into his administration, most of those promises remain unfulfilled.
Nigeria’s public university system has been plagued by frequent strikes since the 1980s, often triggered by funding gaps, poor infrastructure, and salary arrears. The last major ASUU strike in 2022 lasted eight months, forcing many students to graduate years behind schedule and disrupting academic planning across institutions.
As the latest strike begins, anxiety is rising among students and parents who fear another prolonged shutdown. ASUU, however, maintains that the warning strike is a last resort to compel the government to take concrete action.
“We are fighting for the survival of public universities.
“If this government continues to ignore us, we will be left with no choice but to escalate” the ASUU boss said.