Last month, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended its two-week warning strike, giving the Federal Government a one-month window to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FG-ASUU Agreement and address other unresolved issues affecting the country’s university system. For the record, it was the 18th industrial action in 26 years, resulting in as many as 1,130 days lost in academic activities. While the Federal Government cannot be excused from the problems in the education sector, ASUU’s methods have become controversial, with very little achieved from its industrial actions.
While the two-week warning strike by ASUU has been suspended to allow negotiations, the lull should not be mistaken for resolution. When economies falter and the future of students hangs in the balance, governments and unions owe the public more than protest; they owe Nigerians a pathway to sustainable, peaceful, and productive outcomes. Arbitration and other structured avenues can complement dialogue to resolve impasses and restore faith in the university system.
Speaking to journalists after the ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, the President of ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna, warned that the union would not hesitate to resume the strike if the government fails to meet its demands within one month.
According to Piwuna, the union’s demands include: Conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement based on Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021; the release of withheld three-and-half months’ salaries on account of the 2022 strike action; release of unpaid salaries of staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments due to the application of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Others include the release of outstanding third-party deductions, such as pension deductions, check-off dues, and cooperative contributions; funding for the revitalisation of public universities and payment of arrears of a 25–35 per cent salary award for 12 months.
Piwuna recalled that ASUU had declared the warning strike on October 13, 2025. He said: “When we gathered here about 10 days ago to painfully declare a warning strike, it was a decision that left us with no other choice. The government had ignored our repeated overtures to address issues critical to the survival of Nigeria’s public universities.” The ASUU president revealed that following the commencement of the strike, the Federal Government re-engaged the union through a team led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, which met with ASUU representatives on October 16 and 18, to discuss the government’s response to the draft renegotiated agreement.
According to Piwuna, although the meetings did not fully resolve all issues, the union recognised that significant progress had been made compared to the pre-strike period. He said: “We have not achieved all our objectives, but we are certainly not where we were before the strike began. This shows that had the government responded earlier, there would have been no need for the action.”
The Federal Government, on its part, through the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, maintained that the government has engaged ASUU repeatedly since President Bola Tinubu took office and that there was no justification for the industrial action. He outlined a long list of interventions by the Tinubu administration, including, as he stated, a N683 billion infrastructure allocation for federal tertiary institutions in the 2025 budget, intended to rehabilitate hostels, lecture theatres, laboratories, and workshops.
He added that the government has also mobilised funds for medical schools, academic staff training and student support through NERF and other programmes and accused ASUU leaders of contributing to delays in disbursing the needs-assessment money by insisting that the entire first tranche be paid only to the union, rather than shared with polytechnics and colleges of education. Speaking on promotion arrears, third-party deductions, and other outstanding items, Alausa said that most issues have been addressed or resolved, and that some matters fall under the purview of individual universities.
Also, the Federal Government announced on Wednesday the release of N2.3 billion to clear salary and promotion arrears owed to lecturers across Nigerian universities, in a move to avert a looming strike by ASUU. Alausa said the disbursement reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to resolving long-standing welfare issues in the tertiary education sector in a transparent and sustainable manner. He added that the FG, through the Ministry of Finance and the OAGF, is finalising the release of third-party non-statutory deductions and pension remittances, which are expected to be completed in the coming days.
He explained that the Yayale Ahmed Negotiating Committee continues to serve as a bridge between the Federal Government and university unions to resolve outstanding welfare-related disputes through honest and respectful dialogue. “Negotiations are being conducted sincerely, mutually, and respectfully,” he added. “Our priority is to ensure all matters are addressed responsibly and within approved budgetary provisions to guarantee long-term stability.”
For decades, ASUU has justified its strikes as a means to pressure the government into honouring agreements on better funding, fair wages, and improved infrastructure. These demands are valid. In a country where a professor earns less than an average of $366 (about N500,000) monthly, far behind their counterparts in other countries on the continent, and facilities are in a decrepit state, very little skill or learning can be exchanged.
While the fault lines have been defined, it is cheering to see that both parties are exploring a sustainable solution. The solution lies in sincerity from both sides. Government officials must stop making empty promises and start implementing lasting reforms. ASUU must adopt modern negotiation strategies that prioritise the interests of students. The students themselves must also rise, through constructive activism, to demand accountability from all sides.
Education is not a privilege; it is a right as provided for under Section 18 of Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution. Every time it is disrupted, a generation loses part of its potential. The government and ASUU must remember that time is not renewable. Every month lost to a strike is a wound that never fully heals for a student. As such, education should be considered a national emergency, not a political bargaining chip. Lives are being hurt ahead of ego, just as the nation’s future hangs in the balance.
There is a need to foster a shared understanding among the parties, one rooted in a commitment to Nigeria’s developmental progress, to drive a significant rethink and shift in conflict management practices surrounding industrial disputes. Going forward, let there be quick, rule-based decision-making, a clear implementation framework, and confidence restoration to address the excessive industrial actions across all sectors of the economy. The goal is not to pressure or placate but to produce durable, verifiable solutions that serve Nigerian students and the future workforce. Arbitration and structured dialogue, complemented by transparent governance and accountability, can transform intermittent crises into steady progress. Frequent strikes lead to abuse and yield no results but hurt everyone.
