ASUU rejects FG’s proposal, begins two-week strike today, October 13

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will on Monday (today) commence a two-week warning strike after the ultimatum issued to the Federal Government elapsed on Sunday.

The announcement was made by the National President of the union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, at a press briefing at the University of Abuja on Sunday.

The renewed impasse between ASUU and the government comes amid ongoing negotiations aimed at forestalling another round of industrial unrest in public universities.

Last Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed in Abuja that the government had entered the final phase of talks with ASUU and other unions to resolve lingering disputes over welfare, funding, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

Alausa disclosed that the Tinubu administration had already made significant progress with the release of N50bn for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, while another N150bn had been captured in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches.

“They (lecturers) deserve to be paid well, and our academic and non-academic staff deserve improved welfare.

“But we can’t give everything at once. What matters is our sincerity and commitment to substantial improvements in their conditions”, he said.

The Education Minister added that promotion arrears and other outstanding allowances, including teaching and wage awards, had been addressed, while remaining obligations would be cleared by 2026.

Alausa, while reiterating the government’s commitment to sustainable peace in the education sector, appealed to the unions to exercise patience and embrace dialogue instead of resorting to strikes.

“We have resolved many of these issues, and we are at the final stage — the condition of service.

“This government is sincere and has demonstrated that over the last two years. Please bear with us”, he added

The Education Minister also revealed that, for the first time, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and officials of the Ministry of Justice were directly involved in the negotiation process to ensure legal soundness and enforceability of the agreements.

But declaring the strike, Piwuna stated, “Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on the ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th September 2025.

“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, the 13th October, 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting.’’

It was gathered that the Federal Government had extended an invitation to the union last Friday in a bid to meet the deadline set by ASUU leadership. During the meeting, the government presented a proposal to ASUU, which was rejected by its leadership because the new offer did not meet the demands presented by the union.

ASUU is currently demanding the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, release of the withheld three and a half months’ salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, revitalisation of public universities and cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in Lagos State University, Kogi State University, now Prince Abubakar Audu University and Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

Others are payment of outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years and release of withheld third-party deductions (cooperative contributions, union check-off dues).

ASUU’s president, Piwuna, earlier confirmed that the proposal by the government was rejected, adding that the union was working towards presenting its own proposal to the government.

“The presentation to ASUU was a total departure from the letter and spirit of the review of the draft agreement submitted by the Yayale Ahmed committee to the ministry.

“In consonance with our union’s principles, ASUU will soon submit its position – pointing out areas of deliberate distortion, inconsistency and flagrant disregard for extant laws, policies and practices – to the Federal Government.

“Suffice to state, however, that the hurriedly packaged documents were provocative and incapable of dousing industrial tensions which had reached an irreversible pitch across our campuses.

“The Federal Government raised our members’ hopes in resolving the lingering issues before we held the August 2025 NEC meeting at the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, by asking for three weeks of grace to sort out things.

“It was a hard sell, but the leadership managed to convince NEC to exercise a little more patience. The pre-UDUS NEC hope was dashed without a blink,” Piwuna emphasized.

ASUU has a history of strikes driven by various issues, including unpaid salaries and promotion arrears affecting lecturers’ financial stability and morale, poor funding leading to infrastructure decay, inadequate facilities, and limited research capabilities in public universities, lack of genuine government commitment and failure to implement previous agreements eroding trust between ASUU and the government and dissatisfaction with working conditions, among others.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Sunday night threatened to invoke the no-work-no-pay policy following ASUU’s strike declaration.

In a joint statement, the Minister of Education, Alausa and the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, called on the ASUU to reconsider its decision to embark on an industrial strike, emphasising that constructive dialogue remains the most effective and sustainable path toward resolving all outstanding issues in the tertiary education sector.

In a statement issued by Folasade Boriowo, the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, she disclosed that the Federal Government has made a comprehensive offer to the union and is still awaiting ASUU’s official response.

The ministry emphasised that the offer addresses the union’s primary concerns, including working conditions, institutional governance, and staff welfare.

It accused ASUU of not being cooperative despite efforts by the government to avert the strike declared by the union.

“The ministers further stressed that the government has continued to prioritise the welfare of university staff and the stability of the academic calendar under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

“According to them, dialogue remains the most effective and sustainable path to resolving disagreements, and government remains open to engagement at any level to prevent unnecessary disruption in the education sector.

“They, however, emphasised that the “no work, no pay” policy remains an extant labour law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the government will be guided by this law should academic activities be disrupted in the nation’s universities.

“While government continues to demonstrate goodwill and flexibility, it will not abdicate its responsibility to uphold fairness and accountability in the use of public resources.’’

The statement reassured Nigerian students, parents, and the general public that the Federal Government is firmly committed to maintaining industrial harmony in the tertiary education system.

“The ministers appealed to all academic unions to embrace partnership and dialogue rather than confrontation, in the collective interest of the nation’s higher education system.

“They reiterated that the government’s education reform agenda is designed to enhance teaching and research conditions, promote institutional autonomy through strengthened university governance, and ensure that the academic community thrives in an environment of mutual respect, productivity, and innovation.”

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) has urged the Federal Government to demonstrate sincerity and urgency in resolving the fresh industrial action declared by ASUU.