By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has signalled a possible fresh industrial action over what it described as the poor implementation of the 2025 agreement reached with the federal government.
The warning followed the union’s National Executive Council meeting held at Modibbo Adama University, Yola, where ASUU accused both federal and state governments of failing to implement key welfare and funding agreements aimed at stabilising the university system.
ASUU president, Christopher Piwuna, said lecturers were becoming increasingly frustrated over the government’s alleged neglect of their welfare and other outstanding entitlements.
The union listed unresolved issues to include unpaid Earned Academic Allowances, Consolidated Academic Tool Allowances, professorial allowances, promotion arrears, salary shortfalls linked to IPPIS and withheld salaries from the 2022 strike period.
ASUU also faulted the federal government for failing to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee established to oversee compliance with the agreement.
The union rejected the proposed Transnational Education policy expected to allow Coventry University to establish a campus in Nigeria, describing the move as a threat to the country’s education system.
ASUU equally opposed the reversal of the mother-tongue education policy, compulsory enrolment of academics into the Nigeria Education Repository Databank, and the proposed scrapping of some university courses in the humanities and social sciences.
The union accused some vice-chancellors and governing councils of financial mismanagement and irregular appointments, including the introduction of positions such as “Professor of Practice” and “Diaspora Professors”.
ASUU further condemned the alleged move by the Niger State Government to reclaim the Bosso campus of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
The union warned that worsening insecurity, poverty, and political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections could deepen the country’s crisis if urgent steps were not taken.
ASUU appealed to President Bola Tinubu and relevant stakeholders to address all outstanding issues to prevent another disruption of academic activities in Nigerian universities.
