The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has decided to call off its two‑week warning strike — for now. They’re giving the Federal Government of Nigeria a one‑month window to address their demands.
Speaking on Wednesday at the union’s national secretariat in the University of Abuja, ASUU President Christopher Piwuna said the strike has been suspended and that academic activities should soon resume across public universities.
ASUU had set off the warning strike last week (starting around 13 October) to push for better welfare for lecturers, the revitalization of public universities, and implementation of the 2009 ASUU–FGN agreement and other longstanding commitments.
While the suspension is welcomed, ASUU stressed it’s conditional: if the government doesn’t make good on its promises within the month, the union warned it may move into a full‑blown strike.
Background: ASUU’s Longstanding Demands and Government Responses
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been at the forefront of agitations for better conditions in Nigeria’s public universities for over three decades. Founded in 1978, the union has consistently demanded improvements in university funding, staff welfare, academic autonomy, and the implementation of various agreements reached with the Federal Government — the most notable being the 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement.
Key Demands Over the Years
ASUU’s core demands have remained largely consistent:
• Revitalization of Public Universities: This includes funding for infrastructure, laboratories, hostels, and learning materials to halt the steady decline in academic standards.
• Improved Lecturers’ Welfare: ASUU has demanded better salaries, allowances, and working conditions for academic staff.
• Autonomy and Academic Freedom: The union advocates for minimal government interference in university governance.
• Implementation of Past Agreements: Chief among them is the 2009 agreement, which promised increased funding and a new salary structure.
• Opposition to IPPIS: ASUU has resisted the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), arguing that it undermines university autonomy and fails to capture the peculiarities of academic work.
The 2009 Agreement: A Lingering Sticking Point
In 2009, ASUU and the Federal Government signed a landmark agreement which addressed many of the union’s concerns, including funding requirements and salary scales. However, ASUU has repeatedly accused the government of failing to honor the agreement — especially the commitment to inject ₦1.3 trillion over several years for university revitalization.
Efforts to review or implement parts of the agreement have largely stalled, often due to fiscal constraints or political will. Several renegotiations have taken place (notably in 2013, 2017, and 2020), but consensus has rarely led to lasting solutions.
Strike as a Recurring Tactic
ASUU has frequently resorted to industrial action to press its demands:
• In 2020, the union embarked on a nine-month strike — one of its longest ever — largely over issues of revitalization funding and IPPIS.
• In 2022, another eight-month strike disrupted academic activities, prompting lawsuits and public outcry. The government eventually invoked a court ruling to force ASUU back to work.
These prolonged shutdowns have severely affected academic calendars, graduation timelines, and students’ academic progression — leading to increased criticism from the public, though many still sympathize with the union’s demands.
Government Response: Promises, Delays, and Court Orders
Successive Nigerian governments have often promised to meet ASUU’s demands but rarely follow through in full. While some tranches of revitalisation funds have been released in the past, they fall short of the agreed targets. Salary adjustments have also lagged, with the latest being a controversial 35% increment in 2023, which ASUU rejected as insufficient and unilaterally implemented.
More recently, the Tinubu administration has acknowledged the concerns raised by ASUU but has not yet made any significant financial commitments toward resolving them.
