Nigerian university lecturers, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), have issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning of a potential nationwide strike.
This decision was part of the resolutions reached during the national executive council meeting of the union, held over the weekend at the University of Ibadan.
While the union has yet to make an official public statement, a senior member disclosed to our correspondent in Abuja that the lecturers agreed to give the Federal Government 21 days to address their grievances before proceeding with the planned industrial action.
In July of this year, ASUU had threatened to embark on an indefinite strike due to the Federal Government’s failure to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement.
During a press briefing in Damaturu, Yobe State, in July, Melemi Abatcha, the Chairman of ASUU’s Gashua branch, outlined the key issues affecting the educational sector, including the need for funding to revitalize Nigerian public universities and the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
“Funding for the revitalisation of Nigerian public universities, which includes improved infrastructure, conducive teaching/learning environments, accommodation for students and staff, and the equipping of laboratories and libraries, remains a critical issue. Consequently, the Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities have been on the same salary structure since 2009,” Abatcha stated.
He also noted that, despite the Federal Executive Council’s directive in December 2023 to remove ASUU from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform, members are still being paid through the controversial system.
Other issues raised by ASUU include the need for university autonomy, the proliferation of public universities, the backlog of earned academic allowances amounting to N50 billion, and the withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries of its members nationwide.
Earlier, on June 26, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had invited ASUU for a meeting to discuss the ongoing issues affecting universities. However, ASUU members claim that little progress has been made in addressing their demands.
