By Peter Omopo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Federal Government to conclude ongoing negotiations and honour all outstanding agreements to avert another nationwide strike.
The union made its position known in a statement signed by its National President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, following a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Taraba State University, Jalingo. The meeting reviewed the status of discussions with the government’s negotiating team and assessed the implementation of previous commitments.
ASUU expressed concern over what it described as the government’s “back-and-forth” approach to negotiations, warning that continued indecision could have serious consequences for the country’s tertiary education system.
“We therefore hope that our expectations — and indeed the expectations of Nigerians — for a quick and holistic resolution are not dashed,” the union stated.
At an emergency NEC meeting held on October 21, ASUU suspended its two-week warning strike despite labelling the government’s offers as “grossly insufficient.” The suspension, the union said, was a show of goodwill and an opportunity for further engagement within a one-month window, which expires later this month.
Two weeks into that period, however, ASUU said progress had been minimal. While acknowledging some advancement in non-monetary areas, the union described the proposed salary adjustments as inadequate to address the long-standing issue of poor remuneration and the exodus of Nigerian academics abroad.
ASUU also criticised certain government officials for misrepresenting the negotiation process and overstating the extent of progress achieved.
“The partial payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the release of third-party deductions are, at best, confidence-boosting gestures — not solutions to the fundamental issues,” the statement read.
The NEC urged the Federal Government to use the remaining days of the negotiation window to achieve a “holistic resolution,” especially in improving the welfare and working conditions of university lecturers.
The union also challenged the government’s repeated claim of financial constraints, arguing that recent increases in federal and state revenues contradict such assertions.
According to data cited from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), state allocations rose from ₦3.92 trillion in 2022 to ₦5.81 trillion in 2024, while federal revenue grew from ₦3.42 trillion to ₦4.65 trillion within the same period.
“The issue is not lack of funds but lack of political will to prioritise education,” ASUU maintained.
The union appealed to traditional rulers, civil society groups, students, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to continue mounting pressure on the government to act responsibly and provide lecturers with a living wage.
ASUU’s seven-point demands include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU–FGN Agreement, sustainable funding and revitalisation of public universities, an end to the alleged victimisation of members in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and FUTO, as well as the payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, settlement of four years’ promotion arrears, and remittance of withheld third-party deductions.
With the one-month negotiation window nearing its close, the union has warned that any further delay by the government could trigger another round of industrial action, disrupting academic activities across the country.
