The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the Federal Government that a fresh nationwide strike is imminent if long-standing issues in the university system remain unaddressed.
In a statement on Saturday signed by its president, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, ASUU said lecturers in public universities are frustrated and working under harsh conditions, accusing successive governments of making repeated promises through various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Memoranda of Action (MoAs) without honouring them.
Piwuna noted that academics are teaching “on empty stomachs,” carrying out research without access to vital journals and materials, and struggling to meet personal and family needs amid soaring living costs. He lamented that many are forced to travel in worn-out cars while juggling bills, rent, and children’s school fees.
Despite these challenges, he said, universities are often blamed for producing “unemployable graduates” and for not delivering innovative research. “Our members feel forgotten, shamed, and abandoned by past and present governments,” he stated.
The union faulted the government for failing to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, despite receiving a draft in December 2024. It said every major dispute with government since 2012 has been linked to breaches of the agreement’s provisions on welfare, funding, autonomy, academic freedom, and the review of NUC and JAMB laws.
ASUU also decried political interference in the appointment of vice chancellors, citing alleged irregularities at Alvan Ikoku University of Education.
Accusing the government of flouting ILO conventions on collective bargaining, the union condemned the withholding of lecturers’ salaries during strikes and warned that Nigeria risks losing the hope of a knowledge-driven economy if its intellectual assets remain undervalued.
“For the umpteenth time, we urge all patriots to press the Federal and State Governments to resolve lingering labour issues in the university system to prevent another industrial crisis,” ASUU said, adding that only a binding Collective Bargaining Agreement can ensure staff welfare and an environment conducive to academic excellence.
