ASUU declares nationwide strike over unmet demands
By: Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
http://www.newsportng.com.ng The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a two-week nationwide warning strike beginning Monday, October 13, 2025, to protest what it described as the federal government’s failure to address long-standing issues affecting Nigeria’s public universities.
The decision followed an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, where university lecturers across the country unanimously resolved to withdraw their services for two weeks as a signal to the government to meet their demands.
According to Daily Trust reports, the union accused the federal government of reneging on key agreements reached over the years, particularly the full implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, and adequate funding for university revitalization.
Speaking after the meeting, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, lamented that despite several meetings and promises, the government has continued to show insincerity and neglect toward the education sector.
“We have exercised patience enough. The union has been engaging constructively, but the government keeps paying lip service to our demands. This warning strike is to remind them that Nigerian universities cannot continue to operate under deplorable conditions,” he stated.
The two-week industrial action, according to ASUU, will serve as a prelude to a full-scale strike if the federal government fails to respond within the period.
Students across campuses have reacted with mixed feelings. While some expressed disappointment over the imminent disruption of academic activities, others said the strike was necessary to draw attention to the declining state of public universities.
Meanwhile, the federal government has appealed to the union to reconsider its decision, pledging renewed commitment to resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue.
Stakeholders fear that another prolonged shutdown could further destabilize Nigeria’s already fragile academic calendar, which has yet to recover from previous strike actions.
As the clock ticks toward Monday, tension continues to mount across university campuses nationwide, with both lecturers and students waiting to see if the government will act swiftly to avert another full-blown crisis in the education sector.
