The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has officially announced the commencement of a two-week warning strike, set to begin on Monday, October 13, over what it described as the federal government’s continued failure to meet its long-standing commitments to the union and the education sector at large.
The strike, which will affect academic activities in all federal and state universities across Nigeria, has already sparked nationwide discussions, with students, parents, and education stakeholders expressing concern about yet another disruption to the country’s academic calendar.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, disclosed this during a press briefing held at the union’s national headquarters at the University of Abuja. He explained that the decision followed a series of meetings by the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU, after the government failed to take tangible steps toward implementing agreements that had been reached several years ago.
Piwuna emphasized that despite multiple promises and interventions from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who had previously appealed to ASUU to suspend its planned strike and assured them that the negotiation process was nearly complete, there had been no visible progress or official communication from the government in recent weeks.
“The major problem with this government is the lack of urgency and seriousness in addressing our demands,” Piwuna lamented. “We were assured that within three weeks, concrete steps would be taken to resolve our issues, but since that time elapsed, nothing has been done. Our members are tired of empty promises and endless delays.”
The ASUU President further explained that the union had exhausted all peaceful dialogue channels before resorting to the strike action. He stated that the decision was not one made lightly, but out of frustration and the need to protect the future of the Nigerian university system from further decline.
Some of the union’s primary demands include the release of withheld salaries of lecturers, revitalization funds for public universities, improved working conditions, payment of earned academic allowances, and the full implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
He added that the strike is intended as a warning to push the government to act immediately before the situation escalates into a full-blown nationwide strike, which could last indefinitely if the government remains unresponsive.
“We are not happy about the impact this action will have on students and parents,” Piwuna noted. “However, we can no longer continue to teach under these poor conditions, without adequate funding, or have our salaries withheld unjustly. The government must show good faith.”
The announcement has sent shockwaves across campuses, with many students expressing disappointment and anxiety over the possibility of another prolonged academic shutdown. Some have already taken to social media to plead with both the government and ASUU to find a swift resolution.
Education analysts have warned that continued disruptions could further worsen Nigeria’s educational standards, affect the global competitiveness of graduates, and discourage international partnerships with local universities.
As the two-week warning strike begins, all eyes are now on the federal government’s next move. If authorities fail to meet ASUU’s core demands within the stipulated period, the union may escalate the industrial action into an indefinite nationwide strike, plunging the university system into another round of uncertainty.
Students, lecturers, and parents across the country are therefore urging both parties to prioritize dialogue and take decisive actions to prevent yet another collapse of the academic calendar.