Why FG-ASUU are at loggerheads again

BARELY nine months after the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) signed a renegotiated agreement to end years of industrial disputes, another crisis is brewing between both sides.

The latest face-off is due to what ASUU described as the failure of the Federal Government and several state governments to fully implement the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, alongside the continued withholding of three-and-a-half months’ salaries and non-remittance of billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ salaries.

The warning followed the resolution of the union’s emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on September 5, according to a statement signed by ASUU president, Professor Chris Piwuna.

NEC resolved that the suspended nationwide strike could be reactivated “without any further notice” if the issues are not urgently resolved.

The development comes less than a year after the 2025 agreement, which the government hailed as a landmark deal. Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, had declared it signalled the “death of strikes” in public universities. The optimism has now been overtaken by disagreements over implementation.

The agreement, signed on December 23, 2025, replaced the 2009 agreement that was due for renegotiation in 2012. The renegotiation started in 2017 and went through several committees before the Yayale Ahmed-led committee was inaugurated in October 2024.

Key provisions include a 40 percent review of academic staff remuneration, new duty-based allowances, research funding, university autonomy, governance and welfare.

Among them is the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) for journal publications, conferences, internet, learned-society membership and books; a new Professorial Cadre Allowance of N1.74 million annually for professors and N840,000 for readers; allowances for postgraduate supervision, teaching practice, examination and moderation; postgraduate study grants; and a pension upgrade allowing professors to retire at 70 with pension equivalent to their last annual salary.

It also commits parties to the National Research Council Bill proposing at least one percent of GDP for research and innovation.

ASUU said implementation has been uneven, especially in state-owned universities. It commended Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, for adopting the deal and apologising for bureaucratic delays, and listed Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno among states where implementation has commenced.

Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa pledged to commence in September or October. Piwuna warned that states delaying risk industrial crises in their universities.

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A major sticking point is the three-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld after the 2022 strike.

Piwuna acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s administration paid four of the seven-and-a-half months withheld by the previous administration, but said the balance remains unpaid despite repeated demands, with its value eroded by over 50 percent due to inflation and devaluation since 2022.

ASUU is also demanding remittance of pension contributions, cooperative deductions and union check-off dues running into billions, unremitted for months, which it alleged may be linked to its opposition to IPPIS.

The dispute has already triggered action at state universities.

At Nasarawa State University, Keffi, ASUU has been on strike since August 10.

Chairman Dr Zubairu Abdulmumini-Loko listed arrears owed: N1.64 billion in five months’ CATA, N2.084 billion in Earned Academic Allowance for 2018/19 to 2020/21, N2.857 billion in 25 percent and 35 percent salary increment, N578.935 million in N35,000 wage award, N533.88 million in N70,000 minimum wage, and N239.108 million in 2025 promotion arrears.

Beyond welfare, ASUU raised governance concerns, opposing Osun state Governor Ademola Adeleke’s two-year tenure extension for UNIOSUN vice-chancellor, Professor Clement Adebooye.

The union linked the crisis to wider economic hardship, backing NLC president Joe Ajaero’s call for a review of the national minimum wage and indexing it to inflation.