ASUU Issues 14-Day Ultimatum Over Unmet Demands

In light of the possibility of an impending strike, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has set a 14-day deadline for the federal government regarding persistent issues impacting the nation’s universities.

The union, in a statement released following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Abuja on Sunday, September 28, 2025, expressed dissatisfaction with what it termed the government’s ongoing neglect of public universities and the well-being of academic staff.

ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, who authored the statement, reminded that the union organized rallies in August across federal and state universities to highlight the challenges facing the system, but regretted that these efforts did not elicit any significant response from the government.

He indicated that should the federal government fail to take action within the specified timeframe, ASUU will initially initiate a two-week warning strike, which could then escalate to a full and indefinite closure of universities across the country.

The union outlined its demands, including: renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement; sustainable funding for universities; revitalization of public universities, and cessation of the victimization of its members at LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.

Additional demands include the payment of outstanding salary arrears ranging from 25-35%, resolution of promotion arrears that have been pending for over four years, and settlement of overdue third-party deductions.

Prof. Piwuna asserted that the issues raised are not new, while urging intervention from traditional leaders and concerned Nigerians to aid in resolving the matters and to avert the anticipated strike, affirming his belief that the federal government possesses the financial resources to tackle the challenges plaguing the education sector.