RismadarVoice Reporters, July 2, 2026
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos Zone, has threatened to shut down academic activities in three Lagos State-owned universities over the state government’s alleged failure to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement.
The union issued the warning during a press conference on Thursday at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), accusing the state government of neglecting lecturers’ welfare despite months of engagement.
The affected institutions are Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) and LASUSTECH.
ASUU said it was prepared to support any decision taken by its branches in the three universities if the state government continues to delay implementation of the agreement, six months after it was signed.
Speaking at the briefing, the ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Dr Adesola Nassir, said lecturers across the institutions were becoming increasingly frustrated by the government’s inaction.
“How can a government demand world-class university rankings while failing to create world-class conditions for academic work? How can excellence flourish where welfare remains uncertain? How can innovation thrive amid recurring industrial tension?” he asked.
Nassir described it as unacceptable that Lagos State, often referred to as the “Centre of Excellence,” was lagging behind other states that have already begun implementing the agreement.
“No government can legitimately claim excellence while the intellectual workforce responsible for producing excellence experiences prolonged uncertainty over agreed welfare commitments,” he said.
According to the union, the continued delay has negatively affected staff morale and could result in declining academic standards, institutional instability and disruption of the academic calendar.
“Where staff begins to feel despondent, as is now the case at LASU, LASUSTECH and LASUED, management of the system becomes problematic. This could trigger institutional decline, staff apathy, ethical drift, reduced graduate quality and eventually disruption of academic activities,” Nassir stated.
ASUU also expressed concern over unresolved disputes at LASU and LASUED, including the dismissal of some union officials and the alleged victimisation of the ASUU chairperson at LASUED.
The union maintained that the Lagos State Government should bear responsibility if the institutions are eventually forced to embark on industrial action.
“Government, not ASUU, should be held responsible if all Lagos State-owned universities are thrown into avoidable crises or shut down because of its poor response to the concerns of our members,” Nassir said.
The union appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene by concluding negotiations with the affected university branches and implementing the 2025 agreement to avert what it described as a looming industrial crisis.
