Olushola Omogbehin
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has declared a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike across all public universities in Nigeria.
The announcement was made by the National President of the Union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, during a press briefing on Sunday at the University of Abuja.
“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on the ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th September 2025.
“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight (12.01a.m.) on Monday, 13th October, 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting.”
ASUU’s action follows the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued by the union to the Nigerian Government.
Their demand include the implementation of agreements reached during previous negotiations, including issues surrounding earned academic allowances, revitalization funds for public universities, withheld salaries and the government’s failure to review lecturers’ welfare packages.
In a circular titled “Strike Bulletin No. 1” issued on October 5, 2025, and signed by the union’s President, Piwuna, ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) said it reached the decision after evaluating the results of a referendum conducted across its branches.
The union said the ultimatum followed a referendum across its branches and resolutions reached at an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on September 29, 2025.
ASUU accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of failing to implement key agreements, including the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, revitalization of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances, and other welfare-related demands.
The union lamented that despite notifying the Ministers of Labour and Education, as well as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), there had been no meaningful response from the government.
ASUU described the negotiation process as “tortuous” and unnecessarily prolonged for over eight years, warning that its planned action is meant to compel the government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement and tackle the ongoing brain drain (“Japa syndrome”) that continues to strip universities of qualified lecturers.
