The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday staged peaceful protests at the University of Ibadan (UI) and the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, over the Federal Government’s continued delay in signing the renegotiated 2009 agreement with the union.

The protests, backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), were led by ASUU chapter chairmen, Dr. Adefemi Afolabi (UI) and Dr. Michael Bamidele Ojo (Emmanuel Alayande University of Education), alongside the Oyo State NLC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Martins.

Lecturers marched through the campuses carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Preserve Those Who Lay the Golden Eggs” and “Sign the Agreement, Save Education.”

They warned that failure by the Federal Government to sign the agreement at the scheduled meeting on August 28, 2025, could trigger another nationwide strike.

Speaking at the UI campus gate, Dr. Afolabi lamented that lecturers had endured 16 years of failed negotiations, leaving academics demoralized, underpaid, and driving many to seek opportunities abroad.

“The Federal Government has pushed lecturers to the wall,” he said. “There has been inadequate progress in renegotiations, leading to mass brain drain. Our best hands are leaving, and the profession is becoming unattractive to young intellectuals.”

He appealed to Nigerians, including civil society groups, parents, traditional rulers, and opinion leaders, to pressure the government to sign the agreement without delay, warning that failure to do so could plunge the universities into another prolonged crisis.

Similarly, Dr. Ojo in Oyo decried what he called the government’s “delay tactics,” insisting that ASUU would no longer tolerate neglect of lecturers’ welfare.

“If these concerns remain unaddressed, another industrial action is inevitable, one that may paralyze academic calendars nationwide,” he warned.

NLC Chairman, Martins, who joined the rally in Ibadan, accused the government of misplaced priorities, noting that politicians were pushing for higher salaries while lecturers remained poorly paid.

“It is sad that political office holders are agitating for salary increases while our professors, who mold future generations, are left with peanuts. Education drives development. Those who lay the golden eggs must be preserved, not neglected. We urge President Tinubu to sign the agreement now and begin immediate implementation,” he said.

At the core of ASUU’s demands is the renegotiation and implementation of the 2009 agreement to reflect current economic realities. The union is pressing for improved salary structures, better working conditions, enhanced university autonomy, and increased funding for public tertiary institutions.

ASUU warned that should the August 28 meeting end without a signed deal, it may have no choice but to embark on another nationwide strike, further disrupting Nigeria’s fragile public university system.