Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a warning to federal government, demanding the implementation of2009 FG/ASUU agreement or face a nationwide strike.
Gatekeepers News reports that during a press conference in Abuja on Friday, ASUU President Chris Piwuna expressed the union’s frustration over the government’s failure to address nine critical issues affecting Nigeria’s public universities.
The ASUU president highlighted the stalled renegotiation of the agreement since 2017 and the government’s failure to pay salaries withheld during the 2022 strike as part of the unresolved issues.
He also mentioned the unpaid entitlements linked to the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Piwuna further highlighted the delayed release of revitalisation funds and earned academic allowances, stating that promises to inject N150 billion into the sector and regularise allowances by 2026 have yet to be fulfilled.
He also accused some state-owned universities, including Kogi State University and Lagos State University, of marginalising ASUU members through victimisation, job insecurity, and denial of salaries—factors that are eroding morale among academic staff.
According to Piwuna, Nigerian universities are becoming battlegrounds for political and economic interests.
He said political interference has compromised the selection of leaders in institutions such as Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the University of Abuja.
Calling for a “national rebirth through education,” Piwuna proposed a comprehensive education summit to address issues such as funding, university autonomy, and academic welfare.
He said, “Education empowers citizens, drives innovation, and instils values. Without it, development is impossible.”
“Our universities should be centres for solutions to national challenges.”
“We are open to dialogue but will not tolerate further erosion of our rights.”
