The Benin Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to shut down academic activities in public universities over what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement the 2025 agreement reached with the union and unveiled in January 2026.

Chairman of the ASUU Benin Zone, Prof. Monday Igbafen, stated this on Thursday in Benin City while briefing journalists on the government’s alleged non-compliance with the agreement and the implications for the university system.

Flanked by executives and members drawn from the nine universities under the Benin Zone, Igbafen said the Federal Government had failed to honour commitments that were expected to bring an end to years of dispute surrounding the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU agreement.

According to him, the government’s implementation of allowances has been “distorted and selective,” accusing authorities of paying Consolidated Academic Tool Allowances (CATA), Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), and Professorial Allowances outside the agreed structure.

“This violates the agreement, which clearly states that all allowances should be mainstreamed into the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary Structure as part of monthly salaries for professors,” he said.

ASUU also faulted the Federal Government for failing to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC), which the union said was intended to prevent bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensure proper execution of the agreement.

The union further criticised the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, for allegedly introducing major education policies without consultation with ASUU.

Among the issues raised were plans to establish a National Research and Innovation Development Fund, the reversal of the mother-tongue policy in early childhood education, and the proposed establishment of a campus of Coventry University in Nigeria under the Transnational Education framework.

ASUU also rejected the Nigeria Education Repository Databank (NERD), saying academics were being compelled into the initiative without stakeholder engagement.

The union accused the government of attempting to arbitrarily scrap academic programmes considered “irrelevant,” warning that such actions threaten university autonomy and academic freedom.

It also expressed concerns over alleged irregular appointments, financial mismanagement, and disregard for due process by some government-appointed vice chancellors.

ASUU listed other unresolved issues to include unpaid arrears of the 25–35 per cent salary award, promotion arrears, unremitted third-party deductions, salary shortfalls caused by IPPIS errors, and the withheld three-and-a-half months salaries from the 2022 strike action.

The union also criticised the governments of Edo, Ondo, and Delta states for allegedly failing to implement the agreement five months after the Federal Government’s directive.

“We urge them to comply immediately or face industrial action on their campuses,” the union warned.

ASUU further demanded that the Niger State Government and the Federal Ministry of Education halt all actions concerning the land and property of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna.

The union appealed to stakeholders, including patriotic Nigerians and education advocates, to prevail on both federal and state governments to fully implement the agreement and address outstanding issues without delay.

“We warn that public universities face imminent paralysisif governmentcontinues its old tactics of disrespecting collective bargaining and binding agreements,” ASUU stated.