ASUU Threatens Fresh Strike, Gives Federal and State Governments Ultimatum

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that it could begin another strike across public universities in Nigeria if the Federal Government and state governments fail to address the issues affecting university lecturers.

The union said it may bring back its suspended industrial action without giving another notice if the authorities fail to take concrete steps to resolve the outstanding issues.

ASUU made the decision during an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), held on September 5, 2026, at the Festus Iyayi National Secretariat Complex of the University of Abuja.

The union’s National President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, signed the statement announcing the decision.

Why ASUU Is Threatening Another Strike

According to ASUU, the latest disagreement is mainly connected to the failure to fully implement the agreement reached between the Federal Government and the union in December 2025.

The union also complained about unpaid salaries owed to some lecturers and deductions from workers’ salaries that have allegedly not been sent to the organisations and schemes they were meant for.

ASUU said the situation has continued for too long and that the government needs to take urgent action before the disagreement gets worse.

The union warned that if there is no meaningful response, it is prepared to mobilise its members for industrial action.

Lecturers Still Owed Several Months of Salary

One of ASUU’s major concerns is the payment of salaries that were withheld during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The union claimed that university lecturers are still owed about three and a half months of salary.

ASUU acknowledged that the current administration had already paid part of the withheld salaries, covering four months.

However, the union said the outstanding payments have lost more than half of their economic value because of inflation and the fall in the value of the naira.

The union argued that lecturers worked for the salaries they earned and should not continue to suffer because of the dispute between the government and the union.

ASUU said some lecturers reportedly experienced serious physical and psychological difficulties during the period when the salaries were withheld.

The union also claimed that some members died during the difficult period, while others are now dealing with serious health problems.

It therefore called on the government to release the remaining withheld salaries without further delay.

Billions of Naira in Salary Deductions

ASUU also raised concerns about money deducted from lecturers’ salaries that it says has not been properly remitted.

The deductions reportedly include pension contributions, cooperative society funds and union check-off dues.

According to the union, these deductions amount to billions of naira.

ASUU linked the issue to its long-running disagreement with the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, commonly known as IPPIS.

The union said it was prepared to take action if the government failed to resolve the matter.

It warned that its members could be called out for industrial action if there was no concrete solution.

2025 Agreement Remains a Major Issue

Another major issue raised by ASUU is the implementation of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the union.

The union said the agreement has not been implemented consistently across the country.

While some progress has reportedly been made in some states and institutions, ASUU expressed concern about universities where the agreement has not been fully adopted.

The union also acknowledged efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to address salary arrears affecting federal universities of agriculture.

However, ASUU said more work needs to be done to ensure that the agreement is properly implemented.

States Making Progress

ASUU commended Abia State Governor Alex Otti for adopting the 2025 agreement and taking steps to address administrative challenges affecting its implementation.

The union also mentioned Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno as states where there has been progress toward implementing the agreement.

According to ASUU, some other states have also made commitments to implement the agreement.

These include Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states.

However, the union made it clear that commitments alone may not be enough, stressing the need for actual implementation.

Warning to State Governors

ASUU issued a strong warning to state governments that have failed to implement the agreement.

The union said state governors who refuse to comply could face industrial action in their respective state-owned universities.

This means that rather than shutting down every university across Nigeria at the same time, ASUU could begin with universities in states where the 2025 agreement is not implemented.

Such action could affect academic activities, including lectures, examinations and other university programmes.

ASUU Calls for Urgent Government Action

The union is now asking the Federal Government and state authorities to take urgent steps to settle the outstanding issues.

ASUU’s latest warning has raised concerns among students, parents and university communities, especially because previous strikes have disrupted academic calendars and forced students to spend additional time in school.

A fresh strike could once again affect thousands of students in public universities if the dispute is not resolved.

For now, ASUU has not announced that the strike has officially started. Instead, the union has warned that it could reactivate its suspended industrial action if the government fails to address its demands.

The situation is therefore likely to depend on how quickly the Federal Government and affected state governments respond to the union’s latest warning.

What Students Should Know

Students in public universities will be watching developments closely as ASUU and the government attempt to resolve the disagreement.

At this stage, students should not assume that universities have been shut down nationwide.

ASUU’s position is that it may resume its suspended strike if the outstanding issues are not addressed.

The union’s warning gives the government an opportunity to engage with its leadership and find a solution before industrial action begins.

With the new academic sessions and examinations expected to continue across different universities, a quick resolution could help prevent another major disruption to university education in Nigeria.

For now, the key issues remain the unpaid withheld salaries, unremitted deductions and the full implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement.