ASUU Authorises 20 Universities to Begin Strike Over Unresolved Agreements with FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has formally authorised industrial action in 20 Nigerian universities following the failure of the Federal Government to fully implement the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the union. The decision, which was reached after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, signals a renewed wave of disruption in Nigeria’s public university system and has sparked fresh anxiety among students, parents, and education stakeholders nationwide.

In a statement issued on Monday, July 7, 2026, ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, said the union had exercised “maximum restraint” for several months while waiting for the government to honour agreements on salary arrears, earned academic allowances (EAA), revitalisation funds for universities, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payroll platform. According to the union, the Federal Government has only partially fulfilled its commitments, leaving many lecturers owed several months of salaries and allowances.

“After exhaustive dialogue and repeated warnings, our union has reluctantly authorised our branches in 20 universities to commence a full strike with immediate effect,” Osodeke stated. “This is not a decision we take lightly. It is a painful but necessary step to protect the future of public university education in Nigeria.”

The affected institutions include major universities across the six geopolitical zones, such as the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, University of Lagos, and Bayero University Kano, among others. ASUU said the strike would be “comprehensive and indefinite” until the government shows concrete commitment to resolving all outstanding issues.

The Federal Ministry of Education has described the strike as “avoidable and premature,” insisting that significant progress had been made in implementing the 2023 agreement. A senior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government had released over ₦200 billion for earned allowances and university revitalisation in the past 18 months. The official appealed to ASUU to return to the negotiation table rather than disrupt academic activities.

However, ASUU has rejected the government’s claims, accusing officials of engaging in “selective implementation” and deliberately delaying the adoption of UTAS, which the union insists is superior to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) currently in use.

The announcement has triggered immediate panic among students, especially those preparing for examinations or project defences. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) described the development as “devastating” and urged both the government and ASUU to prioritise dialogue to prevent another prolonged shutdown of universities.

Parents have also expressed frustration. Many families who have already struggled with high tuition fees, rising living costs, and previous strikes are worried that another industrial action could further delay their children’s graduation and increase the financial burden on households.

Education experts warn that repeated strikes are having a devastating long-term effect on Nigeria’s human capital development. Nigeria already has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world, and disruptions at the university level compound the problem by creating a backlog of unemployable or under-skilled graduates.

ASUU strikes have become a recurring feature of Nigeria’s university system since the 1980s. The union has gone on strike over 20 times in the last three decades, with some actions lasting for months. The 2022 strike, which lasted eight months, remains one of the longest in the union’s history and caused significant damage to the academic calendar.

Many observers believe the current impasse reflects deeper systemic problems, including chronic underfunding of universities, poor remuneration for lecturers, and the federal government’s reluctance to fully implement previous agreements. Successive administrations have often signed agreements during periods of crisis only to abandon them once industrial actions are suspended.

Stakeholders are urging both ASUU and the Federal Government to return to the negotiating table with sincerity. The Nigerian Academy of Science and several vice chancellors have called for the establishment of a permanent joint committee with clear timelines and enforcement mechanisms to prevent future disruptions.

Some education reform advocates have also suggested that a fundamental restructuring of university funding , including greater autonomy for institutions and increased private sector involvement ,may be necessary to break the cycle of strikes that has plagued Nigerian tertiary education for decades.

As the affected universities prepare to shut down academic activities, millions of students are once again left in uncertainty. For many, this latest strike is not just an industrial dispute , it is another painful reminder of a broken education system that continues to fail its most important stakeholders: the students.

The coming days will determine whether the Federal Government and ASUU can find common ground before the strike spreads further and causes even greater damage to Nigeria’s already struggling university system.