BREAKING: ASUU Threatens Nationwide Strike “Without Further Notice” Over Unpaid Salaries, 2025 Agreement.

Nigerian public universities may be heading for another shutdown as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has issued a fresh threat to resume its suspended nationwide strike.The union says both the Federal Government and state governments have failed to implement the December 2025 ASUU-FGN Agreement and are still owing lecturers billions in salaries and deductions. After an emergency National Executive Council, NEC meeting on September 5, 2026 at its secretariat in University of Abuja, ASUU said it may “activate its suspended strike without any further notice”. In a statement signed by National President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the union warned: “Unless immediate and concrete steps are taken to fully and comprehensively address issues bordering on the welfare and well-being of Nigerian academics, ASUU-NEC will not accept any blame for calling out its members on a nationwide strike action within the shortest time possible”. Lecturers are still being owed 3.5 months out of 7.5 months salaries withheld during former President Buhari’s administration. The current administration has paid 4 months. ASUU says the remaining arrears have lost over 50% of their value since 2022 due to naira devaluation and inflation.”We state for the umpteenth time that the lecturers have done the work for which they are being punished… Some lost their lives in the process” Billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ pay for pensions, cooperatives, and union dues have not been remitted. ASUU accused FG and states of “haphazard” and “shoddy” implementation of the agreement signed after 8+ years of negotiations. The union cited interference with university laws and autonomy. ASUU said lecturers now face monthly uncertainty over salary payments, with some professors “riding commercial motorcycles to campus because they cannot afford transportation”. Some states like Abia, Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno, have commenced implementation, while others promised to start in September or October. ASUU says it cannot guarantee uninterrupted academic activities while lecturers’ welfare remains unresolved. The union noted that apart from recent efforts to pay Federal Universities of Agriculture, there has been no sustainable attempt to resolve issues. The federal government recently announced funds for Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance for Jan-Aug 2026, but ASUU says other major provisions of the 2025 agreement remain unresolved. If ASUU follows through, it will be another disruption for millions of students in public universities still recovering from past strikes. The sector is already grappling with staff retention and welfare concerns.