University lecturers to commence strike on Monday
University lecturers to commence strike on Monday
Barring any last-minute changes, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are set to begin a two-week warning strike on Monday.
The action follows the expiration of the two-week ultimatum issued to the Federal Government to address their longstanding demands.
As of Sunday night, when the ultimatum expired, the government had yet to make any public statement regarding the impending strike.
ASUU had earlier instructed its branches nationwide to prepare for the warning strike.
The latest standoff between the university lecturers and the Federal Government comes despite ongoing negotiations aimed at averting another round of industrial action in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed in Abuja that the government had entered the final phase of talks with ASUU and other unions to resolve lingering disputes over welfare, funding, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
Alausa noted that the Tinubu administration had already made significant progress with the release of N50bn for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, while another N150bn had been captured in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches.
They (lecturers) deserve to be paid well, and our academic and non-academic staff deserve improved welfare,” he said. “But we can’t give everything at once. What matters is our sincerity and commitment to substantial improvements in their conditions.”
He added that promotion arrears and other outstanding allowances, including teaching and wage awards, had been addressed, while remaining obligations would be cleared by 2026.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to sustainable peace in the education sector, Alausa appealed to the unions to exercise patience and embrace dialogue instead of resorting to strikes.
“We have resolved many of these issues, and we are at the final stage — the condition of service,” he said.
“This government is sincere and has demonstrated that over the last two years. Please bear with us.”
Alausa also revealed that, for the first time, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and officials of the Ministry of Justice were directly involved in the negotiation process to ensure legal soundness and enforceability of the agreements.
But ASUU president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, criticised the Ministry of Education for what he described as its habitual delay in addressing critical issues affecting university lecturers.
He said, “The ultimatum expires on Sunday, and afterward, a warning strike will begin unless the government presents something substantial. Within the next 48 hours, we expect a concrete response from the government. If that happens, we’ll consult our members to determine whether it’s enough to suspend action and proceed based on their decision.”
Meanwhile, sources in several federal universities — including the University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University, and the University of Abuja — confirmed that preparations for the strike are already underway.
At the University of Jos, it was gathered that ASUU leaders met with other union executives to rally support for the planned action.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, declined to comment on the development.
