ℹ️ BOOM 🔥🔥UNIVERSITIES MAY NOT REOPEN FOR NEW SESSION, SAYS ASUU.
1 minutes read ⏱️ 10:04am
By Prof Hõlå Isååç ☦️
Nigeria’s public universities are once again on the edge of a nationwide shutdown as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) threatens an indefinite strike over the federal government’s failure to honour long-standing agreements.
The union’s grievances centre on the unfulfilled 2009 ASUU–FGN Agreement, which promised improved funding, better conditions of service, allowances, revitalisation of public universities, and institutional autonomy. Sixteen years later, many of these commitments remain unmet, fuelling distrust and frustration among lecturers.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, stressed that the crisis is not merely a union matter but a national concern. “It’s about the future of our country as we strive to develop and progress,” he said, accusing the government of lacking seriousness and sincerity in handling education.
Key demands include renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, release of revitalisation funds, settlement of outstanding salary arrears, payment of withheld salaries and promotion benefits, and the remittance of third-party deductions. The union also decries poor retirement benefits for professors and unresolved cases such as the sacked Lagos State University lecturers.
Despite public assurances from Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, that students will remain in school, many observers doubt the government’s commitment. Years of broken promises have eroded trust, with ASUU warning that the neglect of public universities could lead to the kind of decline already seen in Nigeria’s primary and secondary education sectors.
Government sources indicate quiet efforts to prevent the strike, with high-level meetings between the Ministries of Labour, Employment, and Education. However, no concrete action has yet been announced.
Students remain the biggest casualties of the standoff, facing disrupted academic calendars, delayed graduations, and declining educational standards. Experts warn that repeated strikes continue to undermine Nigeria’s global competitiveness and produce poorly prepared graduates.
ASUU has called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents, and civil society to pressure the government into urgent action. Whether the federal government responds with meaningful dialogue and tangible solutions will determine if universities reopen for the new session or slide into another prolonged closure.
© Prof Hõlå Isååç ☦️
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