The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday issued yet another warning to the Federal Government, saying it risks triggering a nationwide strike if it continues to neglect the union’s long-standing demands.
Speaking at a press conference at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Akure Zone, Professor Adeola Egbedokun, appealed to critical stakeholders, including the National Assembly, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and students, to prevail on the government to act before lecturers resort to industrial action.
Egbedokun accused the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of failing to address issues inherited from previous governments, despite repeated engagements over the last two years.
He stressed that university teachers have been “Pushed to the wall,” with their patience stretched to breaking point, cautioning that unless urgent steps are taken, the situation could escalate into another prolonged strike, disrupting academic activities nationwide.
He added that ASUU’s demands include the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, improved and sustainable funding for universities, revitalisation of decaying infrastructure, payment of outstanding 25–35 per cent salary arrears, resolution of stagnated promotions spanning over four years, settlement of unremitted third-party deductions, and an end to the alleged victimisation of members in certain institutions.
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He said, “We will fight back, and the consequences would be damning except the government takes a decisive step to attend to all our requests urgently.
“While we take note of the government’s planned meeting of August 28, 2025, let it be clear that the clock is ticking, and time is no longer on the government’s side. Our patience has been stretched to its breaking point. Trust has been shattered, and only decisive government action can mend it.
“The National Executive Committee has resolved that all options remain on the table. If the government chooses provocation over responsibility, if it continues to play games with the future of our universities, then it alone must bear the consequences of the storm that will follow. The ball is squarely in the government’s court.
“We call on all well-meaning Nigerians – Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, National Association of Nigerian Students, traditional rulers, and the National Assembly to caution the government against pushing us into avoidable confrontation.
“For over two years, we have kept faith with the promise of dialogue and refrained from strike actions, but our patience has reached its limits. Our resources are drained, our tanks are dry, and this long road cannot be travelled any further without genuine results.
“Lecturers have remained frozen, stagnant, and insultingly irrelevant in today’s economy. It has become a bitter irony that the very lecturers who educate the nation cannot afford to pay their own children’s school fees.”
The ASUU zonal chairman faulted the Federal Government for neglecting the report of the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led re-negotiation committee, which was finalised and submitted in February 2025.
He said the government’s silence on the document reflects a disregard for due process and a breach of confidence in the collective bargaining framework.
He urged union members to reject the Federal Government’s newly introduced loan scheme, warning that it was designed to plunge lecturers into long-term financial dependency rather than address their legitimate welfare concerns.
“This loan policy is nothing but a crude distraction and a sinister snare. It is designed to suffocate our members, undermine our cooperative societies, and push them into perpetual bondage, struggling to pay for healthcare, shelter, and the education of their children.”
Egbedokun revealed that lecturers across universities in the zone staged peaceful rallies on their campuses on Monday, describing the action as a precursor to more decisive steps if the government fails to shift its stance.
