- Safiu Kehinde
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a two-week warning strike across all public universities in Nigeria over the Federal Government’s failure to fulfil long-standing agreements with the union.
Prof. Chris Piwuna, the union’s National President, made the declaration during a press briefing held at the University of Abuja on Sunday.
Piwuna said the strike followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government on September 28, 2025, to address unresolved issues concerning university funding, welfare, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
He directed all branches of the union to withdraw their services from Monday, declaring that the strike is total and comprehensive.
“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on ground to stop the implementation of ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the notice,
“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, October 13, 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive,” Piwuna said.
ASUU’s action came despite ongoing negotiations between ASUU and the Federal Government aimed at averting another round of industrial action in the tertiary education sector.
According to report, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had last week disclosed that talks with ASUU and other unions had reached an advanced stage.
Alausa had announced that the government’s release of N50 billion for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances and earmarked another N150 billion in the 2025 budget for needs assessment projects, to be disbursed in three tranches.
However, ASUU insists that the government’s promises remain largely unfulfilled, accusing it of paying lip service to university revitalisation and staff welfare.
The strike, which begins Monday, is expected to shut down academic activities in federal and state-owned universities nationwide.