The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that Nigeria’s public university system may be heading toward another round of industrial action if the Federal Government and state governments fail to fully implement the agreement reached with the union in December 2025.
In a statement issued on Monday by its President, Chris Piwuna, ASUU expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as a “distorted and uncoordinated” implementation of the agreement signed with the Federal Government.
The union said the position followed resolutions reached at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Modibbo Adama University, Yola, on May 9 and 10, 2026.
The renegotiated agreement, signed in December 2025 and effective from January 1, 2026, was intended to resolve long-standing disputes over funding, welfare, and autonomy in the university system. It also included a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff in federal tertiary institutions.
ASUU said it had initially remained silent after the agreement was signed and publicly unveiled in January 2026 but decided to speak out after reviewing its implementation.
“The momentum generated with the unveiling of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement on 14th January, 2026, is fast waning and may soon be lost if the government’s promise to fully implement the agreement is not kept,” the union stated.
The union blamed the Federal Government for failing to set up the Implementation Monitoring Committee, which it said was meant to ensure smooth execution of the deal and prevent bureaucratic delays.
According to ASUU, “The Federal Government has implemented the agreement in a distorted and uncoordinated manner, while very few state governments have embraced and implemented it.”
It also accused some university administrators of selective application of key provisions such as allowances, insisting that they should have been properly integrated into the Consolidated Academic Staff Salary Scale.
ASUU further criticised state governments for allegedly ignoring the agreement despite participating in the negotiations.
“ASUU will stop at nothing to ensure that all our members fully benefit from the modest gains of the eight-year-long negotiation (2017–2025),” the union said.
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It warned that frustration among lecturers could lead to renewed strikes if the issues remain unresolved.
“The increasing frustration occasioned by the seeming government’s disinterestedness in the welfare of Nigerian academics is brewing a pent-up anger which could erupt into a new wave of industrial unrest if not addressed,” ASUU warned.
The union urged Nigerians to pressure governments at all levels to fully implement the agreement and resolve outstanding issues. It also announced plans for an emergency NEC meeting in the coming weeks to decide its next steps.
“At the same time, NEC directs that an emergency meeting of NEC be called in the next few weeks to review the situation and take appropriate action as may be necessary,” it stated.
The warning comes weeks after the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, insisted that industrial strikes in universities were over following the 2025 agreement, assuring that institutions would remain open.
However, ASUU faulted parts of the agreement’s implementation, including issues surrounding research funding, salary arrears, pension delays, and unpaid allowances.
“No country can progress when the welfare issues of its academics are left unattended,” the union said.
It also rejected government proposals on research funding, university policy changes, and the introduction of foreign university campuses, describing them as inconsistent with national education goals.
ASUU further raised concerns over governance issues in universities, pension delays, and worsening insecurity and economic hardship in the country.
The union called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in the dispute.
“NEC, once more, calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Visitor to Federal Universities, to immediately address the vexatious delay in addressing the salary and other staff welfare issues,” it stated.
As tensions rise, ASUU warned that failure to act swiftly could destabilise industrial peace across Nigerian universities once again.