It is now a 13-day window, within which if the government fails to act, millions of students across Nigeria’s public universities may face academic disruption yet again—deepening the crisis in a sector already burdened by instability and underfunding.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has fired its own salvo, threatening to ground the nation over a disagreement with a private company, Dangote Refinery.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rolled out its own drums, saying it would escalate the face-off between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN into a nation-wide strike.
Yet, we are only a few hours into our 65th Independence day anniversary as a nation.
The resident doctors just suspended their strike, and everyone is afraid of a showdown if none backs down between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN. In the mix comes ASUU.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) issued a stern 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria om Monday, warning of an impending nationwide strike if long-standing demands are not met. This development followed a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Sunday at the University of Abuja.
In a formal notice signed by the ASUU National President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, the union expressed deep frustration over the continued neglect of the public university system and the government’s alleged failure to honour past agreements.
“Apart from engagement with the press, in August 2025, members of ASUU across both federal and state universities held peaceful rallies to highlight the deteriorating state of the education system. Sadly, those efforts were met with silence,” the statement read.
ASUU has outlined a two-step industrial action plan should the Federal Government fail to meet its demands within the stipulated time frame. The plan includes an initial two-week warning strike, followed by a total and indefinite strike across all affected institutions.
The key demands of ASUU are:
• Re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement
• Adequate and sustainable funding of Nigerian universities
• Revitalisation of public university infrastructure
• Immediate resolution of cases of victimisation of lecturers in:
• Lagos State University (LASU)
• Prince Abubakar Audu University (formerly KSU)
• Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO)
• Payment of outstanding salary arrears (ranging from 25% to 35%)
• Settlement of promotion arrears dating back over four years
• Remittance of third-party deductions withheld by the government
ASUU has also issued a call to action, urging all well-meaning Nigerians—including parents, students, religious and traditional leaders—to pressure the government to take the education crisis seriously.
“The Nigerian Government has the capacity and financial strength to fix the university system once and for all. The time to act is now,” ASUU emphasized.
This latest ultimatum comes just weeks after ASUU warned of a possible nationwide strike in August 2025. The union accused the government of employing “delay tactics” and breaking promises repeatedly, leaving lecturers demoralised and public universities in a state of decay.
Everyday.ng reports The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a strong call to arms, directing all its affiliate unions to prepare for immediate industrial action against the Dangote Group. The move comes in response to what the NLC describes as gross violations of labour rights by the conglomerate.
In an internal memo signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero and circulated on Monday, the union accuses the Dangote Refinery of dismissing workers for exercising their constitutional right to unionise. The memo describes the company’s operations as “plantations of exploitation” where profit is prioritised over human dignity.
“The Dangote Group has operated for too long as a state within a state, flouting Section 40 of our Constitution, violating ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and treating our national labour laws with contempt,” the memo stated.
“The time for pleading and endless, fruitless dialogue is over. The moment for decisive, collective action is now.”
The NLC has instructed all its affiliated unions to immediately mobilise for what it called a “vigorous and comprehensive unionisation” of all workers across Dangote facilities. Unions are expected to set up Action Mobilisation Committees and coordinate directly with the NLC’s national secretariat within 72 hours.
The NLC is demanding that the Dangote Group cease all union-busting tactics and fully respect workers’ rights to freedom of association. It also calls for the mobilisation of resources to back what it described as a “full-scale, decisive engagement” with the company.
“Unity of purpose and action is non-negotiable,” the memo emphasized.
“The impunity of the Dangote Group must be met with the resistance of organised labour.”
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has already taken action in solidarity. The union ordered its members to block gas supply to the Dangote Refinery, citing the dismissal of union members and the refinery’s alleged dissemination of false information.
PENGASSAN has also instructed a nationwide withdrawal of services beginning midnight, September 28, in protest of what it called anti-labour practices and discrimination against Nigerian workers. The growing unrest has prompted the federal government to step in.
Despite these appeals, PENGASSAN on Monday shut down major entry points of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
With tensions escalating on different fronts and the threat of a nationwide strike looming, all eyes are now on the federal government’s ability to broker peace among contending parties.
