By Eshiorameh Sebastian, Abuja
The Federal Government has threatened to invoke the ‘no-work-no-pay’ policy as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Monday, commenced a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike.
This dramatic escalation followed the union’s outright rejection of a last minute proposal from the government, describing it as “provocative” and a “deliberate distortion” of previous agreements.
The announcement of the industrial action was made by the National President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, at a press briefing at the University of Abuja on Sunday, after a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government on September 28 elapsed without a satisfactory resolution.
“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on the ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th September 2025,”.
“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, the 13th October, 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting”, Piwuna stated.
The strike declaration will yet again plunge Nigeria’s public universities into fresh turmoil, despite ongoing negotiations aimed at averting another round of industrial unrest.
The standoff is rooted in a familiar list of grievances that have plagued the university system for years. ASUU’s demands include the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld three and a half months’ salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, and the revitalisation of public universities.
The union is also demanding the cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in Lagos State University, Kogi State University (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, alongside the payment of outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years, and the release of withheld third-party deductions such as cooperative contributions and union check-off dues.
The Federal Government, however, expressed shock and disappointment at the union’s decision. In a joint statement on Sunday night, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, called on ASUU to reconsider, emphasising that constructive dialogue remains the most effective path toward resolution.
The statement, issued by the ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, disclosed that the government had made a comprehensive offer to the union and was still awaiting an official response. “The ministers further stressed that the government has continued to prioritise the welfare of university staff and the stability of the academic calendar under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.
It continued, “They, however, emphasised that the ‘no work, no pay’ policy remains an extant labour law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the government will be guided by this law should academic activities be disrupted in the nation’s universities. While government continues to demonstrate goodwill and flexibility, it will not abdicate its responsibility to uphold fairness and accountability in the use of public resources.”
Prof. Piwuna confirmed that a proposal from the government was indeed presented and summarily rejected. He provided a detailed rationale for the union’s position, painting a picture of a government acting in bad faith.
“The presentation to ASUU was a total departure from the letter and spirit of the review of the draft agreement submitted by the Yayale Ahmed committee to the ministry,” Piwuna asserted. “In consonance with our union’s principles, ASUU will soon submit its position – pointing out areas of deliberate distortion, inconsistency and flagrant disregard for extant laws, policies and practices – to the Federal Government. Suffice to state, however, that the hurriedly packaged documents were provocative and incapable of dousing industrial tensions which had reached an irreversible pitch across our campuses.”
He further revealed that the government had previously raised hopes for a resolution, which ultimately proved empty.
“The Federal Government raised our members’ hopes in resolving the lingering issues before we held the August 2025 NEC meeting at the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, by asking for three weeks of grace to sort out things. It was a hard sell, but the leadership managed to convince NEC to exercise a little more patience. The pre-UDUS NEC hope was dashed without a blink,” Piwuna noted, underscoring the breakdown in trust.
In a related development, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics announced it has given the government a six-week timeframe to attend to its demands, having suspended a proposed strike after noting “measurable progress” made by the Minister of Education.
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