ASUU Gives FG 4-Day Ultimatum on New Lecturer Salaries, Rejects Coventry University Campus

ASUU President Christopher Piwuna issued a four-day ultimatum to the Federal Government on March 27 during a public lecture at Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi. The union demands immediate implementation of the newly approved salary structure for university lecturers, agreed in December 2025 but still unpaid.

Piwuna warned that failure to begin payments within the deadline will trigger a strong union response, raising the risk of another nationwide strike that could shut down public universities.

In the same address, ASUU rejected the Federal Government’s plan to establish a Nigerian campus of Coventry University in Lagos. The deal was signed by President Tinubu during his recent UK visit. Piwuna called it unacceptable re-colonisation that undermines local universities and contradicts the government’s six-year moratorium on new tertiary institutions.

He argued the move weakens Nigerian institutions already battling funding and infrastructure shortages, while questioning Coventry’s motives amid its reported financial deficits and declining African student intake.

As of March 28, no official response has come from the Federal Government or the Ministry of Education on either the salary ultimatum or the Coventry opposition.

Direct Impact on Campuses

Lecturers across federal universities await clarity on pay. Students face uncertainty over potential disruptions to the academic calendar, especially with JAMB 2026 admissions in progress and many already dealing with power outages, fee pressures, and unstable hostels.