The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to resume its suspended strike if the Federal Government and state governments fail to address outstanding issues affecting university lecturers.
The union issued the warning after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) on September 5, 2026, at its Festus Iyayi National Secretariat Complex, University of Abuja.
In a statement signed by ASUU National President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, and released on Friday, the union said the government had failed to fully implement the December 2025 agreement with ASUU, settle outstanding salaries and remit billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ pay.
ASUU said it could no longer guarantee uninterrupted academic activities while issues affecting the welfare of its members remained unresolved.
Lecturers demand withheld salaries
The union said lecturers were still owed three-and-a-half months out of the seven-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to ASUU, the current administration has paid four months of the withheld salaries, leaving 3.5 months outstanding.
The union said the value of the outstanding payments had fallen by more than 50 per cent since 2022 because of the depreciation of the naira and rising inflation.
ASUU said lecturers had already performed the work for which their salaries were withheld and called for immediate payment of the outstanding balance.
It said some members had suffered serious health problems during the period and that resolving the salary issue was necessary to restore stability to the university system.
Union alleges non-remittance of deductions
ASUU also accused the government of failing to remit deductions made from lecturers’ salaries for pension contributions, staff cooperative societies and ASUU check-off dues.
The union said the outstanding third-party deductions amounted to billions of naira.
It described the situation as a financial loss to lecturers, arguing that members had been denied access to money deducted from their salaries as well as possible returns on the funds.
ASUU said the issue might be connected to its longstanding opposition to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The union warned that it was prepared to mobilise its members if the matter was not resolved.
“ASUU-NEC is fully prepared to call out its members if nothing concrete is done to address this lingering problem without further delay,” the statement said.
ASUU faults implementation of 2025 agreement
The union also criticised what it described as the “non- or haphazard implementation” of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement by federal and state governments.
ASUU commended the Federal Ministry of Education for efforts to clear outstanding salaries owed workers in federal universities of agriculture but said the intervention had not resolved the wider problems facing academics.
It complained about salary delays and uncertainty over when lecturers would receive their full pay, saying some academics had been forced to engage their university authorities over delayed payments.
ASUU singled out Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, for praise after he announced the full adoption of the 2025 agreement and apologised for bureaucratic delays that had affected its implementation.
The union also said implementation had commenced in Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno states.
According to ASUU, Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states had pledged to begin implementation in September or October.
The union warned governors who had yet to implement the agreement that continued failure could trigger industrial action in their respective state-owned universities.
ASUU challenges UNIOSUN vice-chancellor tenure extension
The union also criticised Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke over the extension of the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Prof. Clement Adegbooye.
Adeleke announced on September 1 that Adegbooye’s tenure, which was scheduled to end in January 2027, would be extended until January 2029.
ASUU rejected the decision, arguing that the law governing the appointment provides for a single five-year tenure without extension.
The union alleged that the state government had moved to amend the law to accommodate the extension and warned that the move could weaken university autonomy and create a precedent for other state universities.
It also criticised Adegbooye for accepting the extension, noting his previous involvement in ASUU at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
The union urged him to reconsider the decision before January 2027 and said it would challenge the extension if efforts to reverse it failed.
Union rejects government’s economic assessment
ASUU also criticised the Federal and state governments over the state of the Nigerian economy.
The union said governments were becoming increasingly focused on preparations for the 2027 general elections following the lifting of the ban on electioneering campaigns on August 19.
It rejected claims of improved macroeconomic performance, saying economic growth had not translated into better living conditions for Nigerians.
ASUU cited rising living costs, declining purchasing power and poor access to healthcare, education, electricity, potable water and roads as evidence that economic growth had not resulted in broad improvements in living standards.
The union also backed the call by Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero, for an immediate review of the national minimum wage.
It proposed linking the minimum wage to inflation to protect workers’ purchasing power and allow wages to adjust automatically as living costs increase.
Union warns of possible shutdown
ASUU said its latest warning was not intended to disrupt the academic calendar but reflected what it described as the worsening economic and professional conditions facing lecturers.
The union appealed to students, parents, labour leaders, the media and other Nigerians to pressure governments to resolve the outstanding issues before they escalate.
ASUU said the failure to fully implement the 2025 agreement, pay withheld salaries and remit third-party deductions could undermine industrial peace in public universities.
The union ultimately gave the government a clear warning: its suspended strike could be activated without further notice if the outstanding issues were not urgently addressed.
