The relative peace between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may soon come to an end as the union has threatened fresh industrial action over what it described as the poor implementation of the December 2025 agreement reached with the government.
Newsonspot reports that the warning followed the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Modibbo Adama University, where members expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of several unresolved issues affecting university lecturers nationwide.
In a statement issued by ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the union accused both federal and state authorities of carrying out only partial implementation of the agreement signed with lecturers.
According to the union, lingering concerns include the unpaid three-and-a-half months withheld salaries, promotion arrears, salary shortfalls linked to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), unremitted third-party deductions, and outstanding arrears from the 25–35 percent wage award.
Prof. Piwuna warned that the continued neglect of lecturers’ welfare and unresolved financial obligations could trigger another wave of industrial unrest across public universities.
He appealed to the Federal Government, state governments, and concerned Nigerians to urgently intervene and ensure the full implementation of the agreement in order to protect the nation’s education sector from another disruption.
The ASUU president stated that while the union remains open to dialogue with the government, NEC has directed that an emergency meeting be convened in the coming weeks to review developments and decide on further actions if necessary.
The agreement, originally expected to take effect from January 1, 2026, was widely regarded as a breakthrough capable of ending the prolonged dispute surrounding the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement. Key highlights of the deal included a 40 percent salary increase for lecturers, improved pension packages, and enhanced earned academic allowances aimed at stabilising universities and reducing strikes.
However, months after the agreement was reached, full implementation has yet to materialise. While some universities have reportedly implemented parts of the arrangement, the Federal Government is yet to fully fulfil its commitments.
ASUU maintained that repeated discussions with the administration of Bola Tinubu have not yielded the expected results, warning that continued delays could lead to nationwide disruption of academic activities.
The union also stressed that another prolonged strike could further worsen the challenges facing Nigeria’s university system, leaving students and parents once again uncertain about the stability of academic calendars across the country.
