The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a fresh warning that Nigerian universities could once again be thrown into crisis if the Federal Government and state governments fail to resolve outstanding issues affecting university lecturers.
The union said it may reactivate its suspended nationwide strike without further notice, citing unpaid salaries, unremitted deductions and the incomplete implementation of the December 2025 agreement.
ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, disclosed the union’s position in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) held at the University of Abuja.
According to the union, the December 2025 agreement was reached after more than eight years of negotiations and struggles but remains only partially implemented by the Federal Government and several state governments.
ASUU acknowledged that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid four of the 7.5 months’ salaries withheld from lecturers, but insisted that another 3.5 months remain unpaid.
The union said the outstanding balance must be settled, stressing that leaving lecturers with unpaid salaries undermines claims of a labour-friendly administration.
ASUU also raised concerns over billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ salaries for pensions, cooperative contributions and check-off dues, which it said had not been properly remitted.
The union commended Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the governments of Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno for beginning implementation of the agreement.
It said Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states had also indicated that they would commence implementation between September and October.
However, ASUU urged other state governments to act quickly, warning that continued failure to address the issues could plunge public universities into a major industrial crisis.
In its strongest warning, ASUU said it would not accept responsibility if its suspended industrial action is reactivated.
The union called on both the Federal Government and state governments to urgently resolve the outstanding issues, warning that the current situation was creating growing tension within Nigeria’s university system.
ASUU maintained that the incomplete implementation of the 2025 agreement, unpaid salaries and unremitted deductions could ultimately trigger another nationwide confrontation.
For Nigerian students and parents, the warning has raised fresh concerns over the possibility of another disruption to the academic calendar if the issues are not resolved quickly.(National Beam)
