The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal and state governments of Nigeria to urgently address outstanding issues affecting university lecturers or risk industrial action.
The union warned that it could resume its suspended nationwide strike without further notice if the two levels of government fail to resolve the pending issues.
The warning was contained in resolutions reached at the end of the union’s emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at its national secretariat, University of Abuja, on September 5, 2026.
READ ALSO: Kano ASUU Urges Federal Government to Implement Signed Agreement
In a statement issued by ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, on Friday, the union said the Nigerian Government and many state governments had failed to properly implement the December 2025 agreement reached with the union after more than eight years of negotiations and industrial struggles.
It said the situation had been compounded by the continued withholding of part of lecturers’ salaries since 2022, unremitted third-party deductions, alleged interference with university autonomy and laws, and the declining condition of the academic profession.
“Unless immediate and concrete steps are taken to fully and comprehensively address issues bordering on the welfare and well-being of Nigerian academics, ASUU-NEC will not accept any blame for calling out its members on a nationwide strike action within the shortest time possible,” the union said.
ASUU said that, apart from recent efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to clear outstanding salaries owed by some Federal Universities of Agriculture, there had been no sustainable attempt to resolve its concerns.
It lamented that lecturers were being subjected to uncertainty every month over when and how much of their salaries would be paid, resulting in recurring disputes between academic staff and university authorities.
The union, however, commended some state governors for beginning the implementation of the 2025 agreement, particularly Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, whom it praised for publicly announcing the full adoption of the agreement and apologising for bureaucratic delays that had affected its implementation.
ASUU also acknowledged Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno states for commencing implementation.
It noted commitments by Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states to begin implementation in September or October.
The union urged other governors to act quickly to prevent their state-owned universities from being plunged into industrial crises.
“Authorities of the concerned universities have been duly notified of the commencement of strike actions in the respective institutions, with the full backing of ASUU-NEC, unless satisfactory progress is recorded,” the union said.
Withheld Salaries
On the issue of withheld salaries, ASUU said three and a half months remained unpaid out of the seven and a half months’ salaries withheld from its members during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
It acknowledged President Bola Tinubu for releasing four months of the withheld salaries but said the outstanding balance remained a major source of hardship for lecturers.
“Our members have endured enormous financial and psychological discomforts on account of the withheld income, which has suffered a devaluation of more than 50 per cent between 2022 and now,” ASUU said.
The union also demanded the immediate release of billions of naira in third-party deductions, including pension contributions, staff cooperative funds and ASUU check-off dues allegedly deducted from lecturers’ salaries but not remitted for several months.
ASUU alleged that the failure to remit the deductions had caused financial losses to its members.
