ASUU Vows Indefinite Strike as LASU, LASUED, LASUSTECH Ultimatum Expires

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared there is "no going back" on its plan to shut down Lagos State's three state-owned universities after the Lagos State Government failed to meet the union's demands before the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum.

The ultimatum, issued on August 31, 2026, by the congresses of ASUU at Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), expired on September 9 and 10, 2026. In a joint statement signed by the Coordinator of the ASUU-LASU Steering Committee, Dr. Olusegun Babalola; acting chairperson of ASUU-LASUED, Comrade Grace Abimbola; and chairman of ASUU-LASUSTECH, Comrade Murisiku Onigemo, the unions warned that the government's continued silence had left them with no option but to proceed with industrial action.

"Only one day remain. Yet, 13 days after the ultimatum was issued, the Lagos State Government has neither invited the union to dialogue nor communicated any concrete plan to resolve the issues at stake," the statement read. "The union considers this silence deeply disturbing and unacceptable".

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 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. "Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Abia and Enugu government states have already domesticated and implemented the agreement," the statement noted, 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 three branches stressed that the ultimatum would expire without further notice, and that the unions would be compelled to take appropriate industrial action in accordance with the resolution of congress and applicable procedures. "We sincerely hope that management will treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves," the letter to the vice-chancellors warned. "A timely resolution will not only address the legitimate concerns of our members but will also help protect the university's academic calendar, preserve staff morale, and sustain industrial peace within the institution".

Despite the gravity of the situation, there has been no indication from the Lagos State Government that it intends to engage the unions in meaningful dialogue. The coming days will determine whether the state will avert a crisis that threatens to disrupt the academic calendars of three of its most important tertiary institutions, or whether students and lecturers will once again bear the brunt of a system that appears to have abandoned them.