Academic activities were disrupted on Tuesday at the University of Benin’s Ugbowo and Ekheuan campuses as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) staged a nationwide one-day protest over the Federal Government’s failure to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement.

Lecturers and other academic staff marched from the ASUU Secretariat on the Ugbowo main campus to the Vice Chancellor’s office, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards demanding the fulfillment of the long-standing agreement.

ASUU UNIBEN Chairman, Ray Chikogu, expressed frustration over the 16-year delay in reviewing the deal, which was due for review every three years.

“In 2009, we entered into an agreement with the federal government and agreed it would be reviewed every three years. Sixteen years later, it hasn’t been reviewed even once. We’ve been on the same salary for 16 years—this doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world,” Chikogu lamented.

He criticized the underfunding of Nigeria’s education sector and called on the government to prioritize education as a national investment.

“Countries around the world invest in education. Here, we allocate paltry sums. We won’t allow education to die in Nigeria. If our demands are ignored, we won’t hesitate to shut down the entire university system,” he warned.

The protesters, who converged at the administrative block, were received by senior officials, including the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Victor Igbineweka, and Registrar Ademola Bobola.

In his remarks, Bobola assured that their grievances would be forwarded to the federal government, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to addressing the issues.

“Nobody wants ASUU to go on strike again. We’ll compile your demands and send them to the federal government,” he said, expressing confidence in the current administration’s efforts to resolve the matter.