RismadarVoice Reporters
September 11, 2026
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to resume its suspended strike, warning the Federal Government and state governments to urgently address outstanding issues affecting lecturers.
The warning followed an emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council held on September 5, 2026, at the University of Abuja.
In a statement signed by its National President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, ASUU said the incomplete implementation of the 2025 agreement, unpaid salaries and unremitted deductions had created another crisis in the public university system.
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 former President Muhammadu Buhari. It said only four months had been paid by the present administration.
ASUU also alleged that billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ salaries for pensions, cooperative societies and union dues had not been remitted.
It warned that it could mobilise members for another strike if the outstanding issues were not resolved, saying it could no longer guarantee uninterrupted academic activities under the current conditions.
The union, however, commended the Federal Ministry of Education for efforts to clear some salary arrears in federal universities of agriculture.
It also praised Abia State Governor Alex Otti for adopting the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement and commended several other states for beginning its implementation.
ASUU said Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states had indicated plans to commence implementation in September or October.
The union also criticised Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke over the two-year extension of the tenure of Osun State University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Clement Adegbooye.
Adeleke had extended the vice-chancellor’s tenure from January 2027 to January 2029.
ASUU described the decision as unacceptable, arguing that the law governing the appointment provides for a single five-year tenure without extension.
The union accused the governor of altering the law to accommodate the extension and warned that the move could undermine university autonomy.
ASUU said it would challenge the decision if efforts to reverse it failed.
The union also faulted the government’s economic claims, arguing that reported growth had not translated into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
It backed calls for a review of the national minimum wage, saying rising inflation had eroded workers’ purchasing power.
ASUU urged students, parents, labour leaders and other stakeholders to pressure the government to resolve the issues before the situation escalates.
The union warned that failure to address the outstanding matters could trigger another industrial crisis in Nigeria’s public universities.
