ASUU Shuts Down LASU, LASUED, LASUSTECH Indefinitely

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has shut down academic activities at Lagos State's three public universities indefinitely over the non-implementation of the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU agreement, throwing the academic calendars of thousands of students into uncertainty.

The strike, which took effect on Tuesday, September 16, 2026, affects Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH). The union had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Lagos State Government on August 31, demanding the domestication of the agreement, but the deadline expired on September 9 and 10 without any response from the state government.

In a statement issued after an emergency congress, the three branches of ASUU said the government's continued silence and refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue had left them with no option but to proceed with an indefinite strike. The union described the Lagos State Government's attitude as "deeply disturbing and unacceptable," accusing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's administration of treating lecturers with contempt despite repeated appeals and formal communications.

At the heart of the dispute is the non-implementation of the December 2025 ASUU-FGN agreement, which the union says the Lagos State Government has refused to domesticate. The agreement includes provisions for the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), a revised salary template, and other essential welfare measures aimed at improving the working conditions of academic staff. The union also demands the payment of outstanding financial arrears and the recall of sacked union leaders in two of the institutions.

The union leaders expressed frustration that Lagos State, despite its enormous resources and strategic importance to Nigeria's educational development, has chosen inaction while other states have demonstrated commitment. They noted that Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Abia, and Enugu state governments have already domesticated and implemented the agreement, adding that "Lagos State should not be the state that chooses inaction where others have demonstrated commitment."

ASUU's Lagos Zone Coordinator, Prof. Adesola Nassir, had earlier warned that the non-implementation of the agreement had left members feeling neglected, undervalued, and increasingly uncertain about the government's commitment to their welfare. He described the situation as one where "excellence cannot flourish where welfare remains uncertain" and questioned how the state could demand world-class university rankings while failing to create world-class conditions for academic work.

The union's grievances extend beyond the 2025 agreement. In a separate notice, the three staff unions at LASU—ASUU, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT)—listed four key demands: the payment of the N50,000 palliative promised to Lagos State workers, the provision of Macopolo buses, the payment of the 20 per cent salary increase pledged after the 2023 governorship election, and the implementation of the 2025 FG/ASUU/SSANU/NASU/NAAT agreement.

The human cost of the government's inaction is stark. ASUU has alleged that senior professors in Lagos State-owned universities now earn less in monthly remuneration than secondary school principals in the state's public service. The union described the situation as a reflection of the declining welfare of academics, accusing the state government of subjecting lecturers to "starvation wages," increased tax deductions, and alleged victimisation of union leaders.

The indefinite strike represents the culmination of months of mounting frustration among academic staff in Lagos State-owned universities, who have watched their counterparts in other states receive improved welfare packages while their own conditions deteriorate. The union stressed that the strike would continue until the state government addresses its demands, warning that the academic calendars of the three institutions would remain suspended for the foreseeable future.

The shutdown has drawn reactions from students and parents, many of whom have expressed frustration over the recurring cycle of industrial action that has disrupted academic sessions across Nigeria's public universities. Students at the affected institutions now face the prospect of an extended break, with no clear indication of when academic activities will resume. The strike also raises questions about the Lagos State Government's commitment to the welfare of its academic workforce and its willingness to engage constructively with the unions.

As the standoff continues, the coming days will determine whether the Lagos State Government will invite the unions to the negotiating table or allow the strike to drag on, with devastating consequences for students, lecturers, and the future of higher education in Nigeria's most populous state.