ASUU has vowed to begin a two-week nationwide warning strike from October 13 if its demands remain unmet.
The union says the action follows years of unfulfilled promises on the 2009 agreement and other key issues.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has maintained that it will proceed with its planned two-week nationwide warning strike if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands before October 13, 2025.
The union had earlier issued a two-week ultimatum to the government, urging it to implement the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement and address other lingering issues affecting university workers.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, reaffirmed the union’s position on Monday during an orientation and leadership training held at the Niger Delta University (NDU) Branch in Amassoma, Bayelsa State.
He said the union’s decision was final, stressing that the planned action was not taken hastily but after years of unfulfilled promises and stalled negotiations.
“The warning strike has been issued and our position remains unchanged. By midnight of Monday, we will begin a two-week warning strike. After the expiration, we will meet again to decide on an indefinite strike if nothing changes,” Piwuna said.
He explained that the key issues at stake include the long-overdue renegotiation of the 2009 agreement and the government’s repeated failure to honor its commitments despite several reminders.
“We have been patient enough. The government promised to get back to us within three weeks but never did. Nigerians must understand that every time ASUU goes on strike, it is because the government fails to act,” he added.
On the student loan scheme managed by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Piwuna criticized the policy, arguing that introducing loans in a struggling economy would worsen the hardship faced by students and families.
“In a country where unemployment is high and families can barely feed, how do they expect students to repay loans? If the intention is to support education, the funds should be given as grants, not loans,” he said.
He also expressed concern over reports that NELFUND, less than a year after its creation, had spent ₦14 billion on personnel costs, describing it as a sign of misplaced priorities.
ASUU’s National Financial Secretary, Happiness Uduk, urged members to uphold integrity, transparency, and accountability in their activities, while the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Delta State, Prof. Ezekiel Agbalagba, encouraged lecturers to remain committed to ASUU’s core principles.
In his remarks, NDU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Allen Agih, commended ASUU leaders for organizing the training and urged that such capacity-building programmes be held regularly.
The union said it hopes the Federal Government will engage constructively before the deadline to prevent another nationwide disruption of academic activities.
