ASUU Threatens Nationwide Strike, Issues 4-Day Ultimatum

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has warned the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently implement the newly approved salary structure for university lecturers or risk a nationwide shutdown of public universities.

The union issued a four-day ultimatum on Thursday, with its president, Christopher Piwuna, stating that failure to meet the deadline would provoke decisive action.

Speaking at Sa’adu Zungur University, Piwuna stressed the need for immediate commencement of payments under the revised salary arrangement.

“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the federal government to commence payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” he said.

The development comes months after ASUU and the federal government reached a renegotiated agreement in January, aimed at resolving long-standing disputes and curbing the recurring strikes that have disrupted Nigeria’s university system.

A key component of the agreement is a revised salary structure intended to improve lecturers’ welfare and address lingering issues from the controversial 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, much of which has remained unimplemented over the years.

Despite initial optimism, the union says progress has been minimal. Piwuna recently revealed that several federal universities are struggling financially, with some unable to fully pay January salaries and others yet to settle February wages.

Tensions recently escalated at the University of Lagos, where lecturers embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries before suspending the action following discussions with management.

ASUU attributed delays in implementing the new pay structure to practical challenges, including the slow passage of the 2026 national budget.

With the ultimatum now in place, pressure is mounting on the government to act swiftly and prevent another disruption to academic activities across public universities nationwide.