Tension in campuses as ASUU issues 14-day strike notice to FG

By Isaac Joseph Inyang

A fresh wave of uncertainty has swept across Nigeria’s universities as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has handed the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to resolve lingering disputes or face an imminent strike.

The union’s National Executive Council, which met on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at the University of Abuja, declared that the government has shown consistent neglect of public universities and the welfare of their academic staff. In a statement signed by ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, the body recalled that its nationwide rallies in August were intended to draw attention to the plight of universities, but yielded no meaningful response.

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Prof. Piwuna warned that if the government fails to act within the deadline, ASUU will launch a two-week warning strike, which could escalate into a total and indefinite shutdown of all public universities. He stressed that the union’s demands are longstanding and include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, sustainable funding and revitalisation of universities, payment of outstanding salary arrears and promotion arrears, as well as the settlement of third-party deductions.

ASUU also demanded an end to what it described as the victimisation of its members at Lagos State University, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

With the countdown already ticking, students and parents are bracing for another round of academic disruption that could once again stretch the school calendar and dash the hopes of thousands. The question now is whether the government will act in time to avert the looming crisis or whether the gates of Nigeria’s universities will soon be locked once again.