The Academic Staff Union of Universities has warned that Nigeria’s public university system may witness another round of industrial action if the Federal Government and state governments fail to fully implement the 2025 agreement reached with the union.
The warning followed the union’s National Executive Council meeting held at Modibbo Adama University, Yola, between May 9 and 10, 2026, where members reviewed the implementation of the agreement and other unresolved issues affecting university lecturers.
In a statement issued on Monday by ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, the union expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as the “distorted and uncoordinated” implementation of the agreement signed with the Federal Government.
According to the statement, ASUU had maintained silence since the agreement was publicly unveiled in January 2026 but decided to speak after reviewing the level of compliance by government authorities.
“The momentum generated with the unveiling of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement on January 14, 2026, is fast waning and may soon be lost if government’s promise to fully implement the agreement is not kept,” the statement noted.
The union blamed the situation on the failure to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee, which it said was necessary to ensure proper execution of the agreement.
ASUU alleged that federal and state authorities had implemented parts of the agreement selectively, adding that only a few state governments had complied with its provisions.
The union further accused administrators of federal universities of isolating components such as Consolidated Academic Allowances, Earned Academic Allowances, and Professorial Allowances instead of integrating them into the Consolidated Academic Salary Structure.
ASUU also criticised some state governments for allegedly abandoning the agreement despite participating in the negotiation process, stressing that it remained committed to securing the gains of the eight-year negotiation process which lasted from 2017 to 2025.
The union faulted the Federal Government’s proposed National Research Council and the Minister of Education’s announcement of a National Research and Innovation Development Fund, arguing that the proposal did not align with the 2025 agreement, which recommended allocating at least one per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product to research, innovation, and development.
It also questioned the proposed 500 million dollar funding structure and raised concerns over possible external borrowing.
On welfare issues, ASUU said lecturers were still being owed salary arrears, promotion arrears, unremitted deductions, salary shortfalls linked to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, and withheld salaries from the 2022 strike period.
The union further decried delays in pension payments for retired lecturers, especially in state-owned universities, while accusing the National Pension Commission of slowing down benefit harmonisation.
ASUU called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in resolving the outstanding welfare issues affecting lecturers across federal universities.
The union also opposed the reversal of the mother-tongue policy in early childhood education, describing the move as retrogressive.
It rejected plans to establish a campus of Coventry University in Nigeria under a transnational education arrangement, warning that such a move could weaken local tertiary institutions.
ASUU equally condemned the compulsory enrolment of academics into the Nigeria Education Repository Databank, saying it violated academic autonomy and data protection laws.
The union also criticised plans to scrap some university courses considered irrelevant, insisting that humanities and social science disciplines remained vital for critical thinking and innovation.
ASUU further raised concerns over alleged maladministration and questionable academic appointments in universities, while warning about rising political tension, insecurity, and economic hardship ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The union cautioned that continued neglect of lecturers’ welfare could trigger another industrial action, noting that frustration among its members was increasing.
It urged Nigerians to pressure governments at all levels to fully implement the agreement and resolve all outstanding issues, adding that its NEC would reconvene in the coming weeks to assess developments and determine further actions if necessary.
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