ASUU Raises Alarm: Full-Blown Strike Looms
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) warned yesterday of a possible strike. The union believes the federal government has been discouraging in its handling of the ongoing industrial dispute.
The union’s coordinator for the Ibadan Zone, Prof. Biodun Olaniran, spoke to journalists at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso. He claimed government officials were misleading the public while hindering efforts to finalize the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement.
He stated that the main demand of the union is the renegotiation of this agreement. The Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Committee is currently working on it. This committee aims to create a new salary structure to replace the Consolidated University Salary Scale (CONUASS) in light of rising inflation in the country.
The Academic Staff Union’s Ibadan Zone includes several universities: University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osun State University, Kwara State University, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education.
Olaniran, joined by other chairmen from the zone, expressed disappointment. He had expected a government focused on national development and technological growth to take action within the deadline. He criticized the federal government for not treating the issues with the seriousness they require.
“Sadly, with just eight days left in the month, little significant progress has been made besides the usual misinformation and propaganda,” he said.
While acknowledging that the government released part of the four-year promotion arrears and some third-party deductions like union dues and pension contributions, he insisted that this should not be seen as a resolution of ASUU’s demands.
Olaniran mentioned, “The recent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUU took place at Taraba State University in Jalingo on November 8 and 9, 2025. It thoroughly reviewed our discussions with the federal government and state university visitors. The current insecurity and tough economic conditions in the country negatively affect our members’ welfare and should concern all stakeholders in education.
“The government’s role in renegotiating the agreement with the union is troubling. Unless the federal government addresses this by providing a competitive salary structure soon, public university students may face more disruptions in their academic schedules. ASUU, Ibadan Zone, urges the government to act quickly to prevent this crisis.
The counteroffers from the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Committee were firmly rejected by our union. It is unacceptable to propose such low offers to academics who have received the same salaries for 16 years. This amount falls short of what many West African countries pay their academics, while Nigerian politicians are among the highest-paid political office holders in Africa, if not the world. The issue is a lack of political will, not a lack of resources, to support quality education in Nigeria.”
He noted that the federal government still withholds three and a half months’ salaries of union members from federal universities. This was a key issue that led to the union’s strike in 2022.
He added, “Many state universities have yet to pay withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). Osun State University has not released the withheld salaries from 2018 and 2020 or the reduced 2015-2019 EAA. The same situation exists at LAUTECH in Ogbomoso, where EAA and promotion arrears are still unpaid. KWASU has also not received EAA, just like several other state universities in the country.
“Our union strongly condemns this indifferent, anti-labor, and inhumane behavior. We demand the immediate payment of all withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and outstanding EAA for academic staff who are ASUU members,” Olaniran concluded.
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARS 2025 CBT APP ON THE PLAY STORE
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARS 2025 CBT APP ON THE APP STORE
DOWNLOAD EXAM SCHOLARS 2025 CBT APP ON WINDOWS
Visit EXAMSCHOLARS.COM for more info
