ASUU warns of looming strike crisis

The Ibadan branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday called the way the Federal Government is managing the industr...

The Ibadan branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday called the way the Federal Government is managing the industrial conflict declared by the academic union as disheartening, and cautioned about an upcoming widespread strike.

ASUU, Ibadan Zone, includes the University of Ibadan, located in Ibadan; the University of Ilorin, based in Ilorin; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, situated in Ogbomoso; Osun State University, found in Osogbo; Kwara State University, positioned in Malete; and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, located in Oyo.

Speaking to reporters at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso, the Ibadan Zone of the Union, via its Coordinator, Professor Biodun Olaniran, stated that officials in government were spreading falsehoods to the public and hindering progress in quickly finalizing the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement.

ASUU mentioned: “Our Union's main request is the re-examination of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which is currently being addressed by the committee led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, aiming to establish a new pay system to substitute the Consolidated University Salary Scale (CONUASS), considering the rising inflation in the nation since that time.”

It is worth noting that ASUU announced a two-week warning strike starting on October 13, although it was reportedly halted five days before it was set to end following what were seen as sincere efforts by students, parents, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the media, and other key stakeholders.

The Union had set a one-month period in accordance with the NLC's ultimatum, requiring governments to finalize the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and address all related matters.

As per Professor Olaniran, ASUU "had anticipated the government would concentrate on national development, technological progress, and improvement, making every effort to meet the deadline by issuing clear directives to its officials."

Unfortunately, the Federal Government has been handling the Union without the seriousness these issues require. Regrettably, just about eight days before the end of the one-month period, nothing substantial has been accomplished besides the usual false information, misleading content, and propaganda, Prof. Olaniyan pointed out.

Although recognizing the release of some of the four-year promotion arrears, third-party deductions like union fees, cooperative contributions, and pension deductions, which the Government has highlighted, ASUU emphasized that these should not be misunderstood by Nigerians as fulfilling ASUU's demands.

The union leader revealed that "the recently concluded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUU, which took place at Taraba State University in Jalingo on Saturday, November 8th, and Sunday, November 9th, 2025, thoroughly examined the status of our discussions with the Federal Government and guests visiting state universities."

The present condition of instability and severe economic challenges within the country, along with their adverse effects on the well-being of ASUU members, demands significant attention from all parties involved in the education sector.

The involvement of government officials in the process of revising the agreement with the Union is, at minimum, troubling.

Unless the Federal Government takes decisive action by providing a competitive salary framework within the remaining time, our students in public universities throughout the country might face another disruption in their academic schedules.

ASUU, Ibadan Zone, thus highlights the pressing necessity to urge governments to prevent this impending crisis.

He added: "The counter proposals put forward by the government via the committee headed by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed have been strongly turned down by our Union, as it is inappropriate and unacceptable to present such absurd offers to academics who have been receiving the same salaries for 16 years."

This is lower than what many West African nations offer their academic professionals, while Nigerian politicians receive the highest salaries among political leaders in Africa, if not worldwide. The issue lies in the absence of political will, not the availability of resources to support quality education in Nigeria.

Professor Olaniran also revealed that the three-and-a-half months' salaries of employees at federal universities, which are kept by the federal government, led to the union's strike in 2022 and are still not being released by the government.

Claiming that numerous state universities still owe delayed salaries, promotion backlogs, and Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), ASUU criticized the federal government's apathetic, regressive, anti-worker, and inhumane behavior.

"Thus, we call for the full payment of all unpaid salaries, promotion backlogs, and pending EAA to the academic staff of universities affiliated with ASUU," it stated.

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