ASUU Declares Two-Week Nationwide Warning Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a total and comprehensive two-week warning strike across all public universities in Nigeria, reigniting long-standing tensions over funding, welfare, and government neglect of the education sector.

The strike, which began at midnight on Monday, October 13, 2025, follows the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum the union had issued to the Federal Government on September 28. The ultimatum, according to ASUU, was intended to prompt meaningful dialogue and concrete action toward addressing unresolved issues, but the government’s silence prompted the decision to withdraw services nationwide.

During a press briefing in Abuja, the union announced that all university branches — federal and state, had been directed to fully comply with the industrial action. The strike will be both total and comprehensive, meaning academic activities, including lectures, supervision, and examinations, will be completely suspended.

ASUU said the action was not taken lightly but was a necessary response to what it described as the government’s habitual neglect of the education sector and disregard for the welfare of lecturers. The union recalled that despite organizing campus-wide rallies and public appeals in August to draw attention to the lingering problems in Nigerian universities, no meaningful response followed from either federal or state authorities.

Background to the renewed standoff

The latest confrontation between ASUU and the Federal Government stems from several unresolved issues dating back more than a decade. Central to these disputes is the 2009 ASUU–Federal Government agreement, which promised improved university funding, staff welfare, and infrastructure upgrades, commitments that remain largely unfulfilled.

The union maintains that successive administrations have failed to honour key components of that agreement, such as salary adjustments, earned allowances, and revitalization funds for dilapidated campuses. It also cited the government’s inconsistent implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which many lecturers say undermines university autonomy and delays salary payments.

Earlier in the week, the Federal Government appealed to ASUU to suspend its planned strike, saying it was already working to resolve outstanding demands. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced that the government had reconstituted the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Negotiation Committee to accelerate talks with university unions, including both academic and non-academic staff associations.

The minister also said President Bola Tinubu had directed that every effort be made to avoid another disruption in Nigeria’s tertiary education calendar, noting that ongoing negotiations were already yielding results.

However, ASUU insists that the appeal came too late. The union argued that the government’s engagement with the issue had been sluggish, pointing out that even after granting a three-week window during earlier discussions in Sokoto, there was no communication or follow-up until the strike threat resurfaced.

ASUU Decries Government Inaction, Signals Possible Strike

ASUU’s leadership has also accused the government of reactive policymaking, waiting until academic disruptions are imminent before attempting dialogue. The union expressed frustration that the pattern of delayed responses continues to cripple the university system and erode public confidence in higher education.

What the strike means for universities

The two-week action is expected to halt academic activities in federal and state universities across Nigeria, affecting thousands of students preparing for semester examinations. If unresolved, it could evolve into a full-scale strike, further extending academic calendars already distorted by previous industrial actions.

Observers say the strike highlights deeper issues within Nigeria’s education system, chronic underfunding, outdated facilities, and strained labour relations that have turned industrial actions into a recurring feature of university life.

While the government maintains that fiscal limitations hinder immediate implementation of ASUU’s demands, critics argue that education continues to receive inadequate budgetary priority despite being key to national development.

The warning strike marks another chapter in ASUU’s long struggle for improved conditions in Nigerian universities. With the government’s response still uncertain, the coming weeks will determine whether dialogue can resume or if the standoff will deepen, threatening another prolonged shutdown of the nation’s higher education system.