The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a four‑day ultimatum to the Federal Government to begin implementation of the newly agreed salary structure for university lecturers or face a nationwide industrial action that could abruptly halt academic activities across all federal universities.
ASUU President, Prof Christopher Piwuna, announced the deadline on Thursday at a public lecture at Sa’adu Zungur University Yuli Campus, Bauchi State, insisting that what both parties agreed must now be honoured swiftly and in full.
The ultimatum stems from a negotiation that concluded in December 2025, when the Federal Government represented by Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, formally signed and unveiled a new agreement with ASUU in Abuja to replace a decades‑old arrangement dating back to the 2009 FGN‑ASUU pact.
The new deal included a revised salary structure with a 40 per cent increase in Consolidated Academic Allowance effective from January 2026, alongside other adjustments intended to improve lecturers’ remuneration and working conditions.
Despite that signing, ASUU leaders say implementation has been slow and inconsistent, with some universities yet to reflect the agreed salary increases in their payrolls.
Piwuna stressed that the repeated failure by past and present governments to honour agreements has eroded trust, forcing the union to take this latest position to protect academic staff and uphold negotiated commitments.
Piwuna warned that should the government fail to act by the end of the four‑day window, ASUU would respond “strongly”, a phrase widely interpreted by stakeholders as a prelude to a full‑blown strike that would affect millions of students and stall academic calendars across the country.
In addition to the pay dispute, ASUU has voiced strong opposition to the federal government’s plans to facilitate a branch of Coventry University in Nigeria, arguing that such a move could undermine the growth, autonomy and relevance of local universities and constitute a form of academic colonialism at a time when domestic institutions are struggling for stability.
Students, parent groups, and education stakeholders have expressed concern that renewed industrial action could derail progress on academic sessions already disrupted by past strikes, urging both parties to engage in urgent negotiations to avert further crisis.
Federal civil servants outside the university system have also been restive, with other labour unions signalling nationwide action over unresolved wage issues, underscoring broader tensions in public sector wage negotiations.
ASUU’s ultimatum comes against the backdrop of a long‑running history of disputes with successive governments over funding, conditions of service and implementation of collective agreements, often ending in prolonged strikes when deadlines pass without resolution.
