Fresh concerns over a possible nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) have surfaced following allegations that the Federal Government has failed to fully implement the December 2025 agreement reached with the union.
The warning was issued on Monday by the ASUU Abuja Zone during a press conference held at Nasarawa State University, where union leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the pace and quality of implementation of the agreement.
Speaking on behalf of the union, Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Adamu Abdullahi, rejected claims by the Minister of Education that the agreement had been fully executed, insisting that several welfare issues and critical provisions affecting lecturers remain unresolved.
According to him, the optimism that followed the signing of the agreement after years of negotiations is gradually fading due to delays and what the union described as “distorted implementation.”
ASUU Raises Concerns After Recent Meeting With Government
Abdullahi explained that one of the union’s biggest concerns is the Federal Government’s failure to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC), which was expected to supervise and ensure the smooth execution of the agreement.
According to him, the absence of the committee has created room for inconsistencies across universities.
“It was only five months since the fanfare that accompanied the signing of the FG/ASUU agreement after a protracted negotiation spanning eight years.
“What has been witnessed so far is a distorted implementation of the agreement that is obviously anchored on a memorandum transmitted from the Honourable Minister of Education to Councils of Federal Universities in February 2026,” Abdullahi stated.
The union alleged that universities are now independently interpreting the agreement and selectively implementing payment structures without a coordinated framework.
ASUU warned that such inconsistencies could threaten industrial harmony within the university system if not urgently addressed.
Disputes Over Salary Structure And Lecturer Allowances
The union also accused institutions of selectively paying lecturers’ allowances instead of properly integrating them into the approved salary structure.
According to Abdullahi, universities are “picking and choosing” components such as the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), and Professorial Allowance (PA), rather than implementing the agreement comprehensively.
ASUU further listed several unresolved financial and welfare issues affecting lecturers, including:
- Arrears of the 25–35 percent salary award
- Promotion arrears
- Unpaid third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions
- Salary shortfalls linked to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)
- Withheld three-and-half months’ salaries from the 2022 industrial action
The union also criticised some state governments for allegedly failing to implement the agreement despite participating in the negotiation process.
What ASUU Is Saying About Strike Threat And Welfare Issues
Abdullahi condemned the continued use of the “no work, no pay” policy, describing it as unfair to academic staff and inconsistent with the realities of academic work.
“No country can progress when the welfare issues of academics are left unattended. Reducing scholars to menial workers whose livelihood is tied strictly to physical presence at work does not reflect the realities of academic work, where research and community service continue even during strike periods,” Abdullahi stated.
He added that lecturers had already made sacrifices by forfeiting leave periods to compensate for lost academic time during previous industrial actions, noting that students affected by earlier strikes had already graduated while universities had maintained stable academic calendars for three years.
The ASUU leader also expressed concern over the welfare of retired lecturers, particularly in some state-owned universities where pension arrears remain unpaid for years.
He further criticised delays in pension harmonisation by the National Pension Commission (PenCom), alongside the lack of functional pension schemes in certain institutions.
Concerns Over University Administration And Governance
Beyond salary-related issues, ASUU raised concerns about what it described as irregular appointments and questionable administrative practices in some universities.
Abdullahi alleged that certain Vice Chancellors had introduced titles such as “Professor of Practice” and “Diaspora Professors” without approval from statutory university bodies.
According to him, such practices have created loopholes that allow individuals with questionable academic qualifications to gain influence within the university system.
He warned that these developments could weaken academic standards and governance across Nigerian universities.
“We strongly condemn the distorted or non-implementation of the December 2025 FG/ASUU Agreement by both Federal and State Governments.
“Government must urgently resolve all outstanding issues to avoid a breakdown of industrial harmony in our universities,” Abdullahi added.
Plateau State University ASUU Branch Demands Immediate Salary Review
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities has also called on the Plateau State Government to immediately implement the new salary structure for lecturers.
In a statement signed by the Chairperson and Secretary of the branch, Dr. Vincent Choji and Dr. Lomka Iliya Kopdiya, the union said lecturers in the institution are still being paid under the old salary scheme despite worsening economic conditions.
According to the statement:
“as a branch, we submitted the Federal Government/ASUU agreement, which reflects the new salary template, to the University Management in February 2026. Sadly, we remain on the old salary scheme despite the harsh economic realities lecturers face daily.
“While the State Government and University Management have taken credit for the institution’s expansion through increased student enrollment and the introduction of new faculties and departments, the resulting workload on lecturers has been ignored.
“Our members are working harder than ever to teach and mold the character of these students, yet their well-being is not being addressed. Tragically, in recent months, the Union has lost over four committed lecturers to stress and heart-related complications.”
The union also highlighted concerns over campus security, transportation costs, inadequate staff accommodation, and unresolved issues from the agreement signed with the state government in 2024.
“We urgently call on the State Government to implement the new salary scheme and pay all the arrears from 1st January 2026, release funds to cater for pension and gratuity, and address all other pending issues in the signed agreement to avert a looming, total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike action”.
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