The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to urgently address its longstanding demands in order to avert a looming nationwide strike.
Chairman of the ASUU University of Ilorin branch, Dr. Alex Akanmu, made the appeal on Thursday, warning that the continued neglect of lecturers’ demands risks plunging the university system into another round of industrial crisis.
He listed the unresolved issues to include:
Renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement,
Sustainable funding and revitalization of universities,
University autonomy,
Outstanding 25–35% salary arrears and third-party deductions,
Non-payment and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).
Speaking on the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, Akanmu lamented that despite the provision that the pact be reviewed every three years, the government had failed to implement it.
“It is public knowledge that our salaries have remained virtually stagnant for the past 16 years,” he said. “Unfortunately, it took the government eight years—until 2017—just to constitute a renegotiation committee for this purpose.”
He recalled that several committees, including those led by Wale Babalakin, Professor Munzali Jubril, and the late Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs, had engaged ASUU, with the Briggs-led committee producing a draft agreement in 2021. “However, despite appointing the committee itself, the government has refused to sign the resulting draft,” Akanmu noted.
The ASUU chairman stressed that the union had given the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration sufficient time for constructive engagement, but lamented that no concrete effort had been made to address the challenges.
“The Federal Government’s continued inaction has further pauperized Nigerian academics in comparison to their global counterparts,” he said.
Akanmu pointed to the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed report—submitted in February 2025—as a test of the government’s sincerity, saying it encapsulates all contentious issues and reflects consensus with ASUU.
“Our members are increasingly frustrated with the government’s delay tactics, the so-called ‘keep them talking’ syndrome. While we are aware of the meeting scheduled for August 28, 2025, the prevailing sentiment among our members is clear: they are no longer willing to be dragged along endlessly without tangible outcomes,” he declared.
The union also raised concern over what it described as the government’s persistent erosion of university autonomy, citing the unlawful dissolution of governing councils even before their statutory tenure expired.
On the issue of withheld salaries, ASUU demanded the prompt release of the three-and-a-half months’ pay deducted under the “No Work, No Pay” policy enforced during the 2023 strike.
“The government must promptly clear these outstanding payments in the interest of justice and industrial harmony,” Akanmu insisted.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to hold the government accountable, warning that only genuine commitment to resolving these demands can avert the looming industrial action.
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