The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the federal government, cautioning that Nigerian university lecturers may be forced to embark on a nationwide strike if their longstanding demands continue to be ignored.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Akure Zone, Prof. Adeola Egbedokun, made the declaration on Tuesday during a press conference at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
He lamented what he described as the persistent neglect of the union’s demands by the Tinubu administration since assuming office two years ago.
Prof. Egbedokun accused the government of pushing lecturers to the breaking point, stressing that their patience has been overstretched.
He warned that unless urgent steps are taken, ASUU may have no option but to shut down academic activities in federal universities nationwide.
The ASUU leader listed the union’s unresolved issues as the full implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, sustainable funding and revitalisation of universities, payment of outstanding 25–35 percent salary arrears, promotion arrears stagnated for over four years, unremitted third-party deductions, and an end to the alleged victimisation of ASUU members in some universities.
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Prof. Egbedokun also condemned the federal government’s alleged disregard for the report of the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiation committee, which was concluded and submitted in February 2025.
He described the delay in implementing the recommendations as “a betrayal of trust and an insult to the principle of collective bargaining.”
Although the federal government has scheduled a meeting with ASUU for August 28, 2025, Prof. Egbedokun insisted that time is running out.
“The clock is ticking, and our patience has been stretched to its breaking point. If the government continues to play games with the future of our universities, it alone must bear the consequences of the storm that will follow. The ball is squarely in the government’s court,” he said.
He revealed that lecturers across the Akure Zone staged peaceful rallies on their campuses on Monday as a “test-run”.
