FG compelling us to shut down universities – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nsukka Zone, has accused the Federal Government of compelling it to shut down Nigerian universities by deliberately failing to implement the 2025 ASUU/FGN Agreement.

The union made its position known Thursday during a press conference held at Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, where it said government actions since the signing of the agreement showed a pattern of neglect, warning that the development could trigger another industrial crisis in Nigeria’s university system.

Addressing journalists, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Nsukka Zone, Comrade Christian Opata, flanked by other leaders of the union, said the government was once again taking the route that had previously led to prolonged strike actions in public universities.

“The Federal Government is taking the unproductive route that it is used to. Before the signing of the 2025 ASUU/FGN Agreement, the FGN forced our members to embark on strike actions over the 2009 Agreement. As it currently stands, the FGN is at it again trying to force us to embark on another round of actions over the 2025 Agreement,” he said.

Opata lamented that although the agreement was signed on January 14, 2026, its implementation had remained “partial, distorted and largely abandoned.”

He particularly faulted the Federal Government for failing to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC), which was expected to ensure proper execution of the agreement and prevent bureaucratic bottlenecks.

The union also accused the government of sidelining ASUU in the proposed establishment of the National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, after a Federal Executive Council meeting on April 7, 2026.

According to Opata, the move breached the agreement reached with the union. “ASUU, one of the parties to the agreement, was not involved whatsoever, a clear sign of breach of the said agreement through deliberate attempts to sideline the union,” he stated.

ASUU further rejected the proposed funding arrangement for the research fund, insisting that it contradicted the agreement, which stipulated that at least one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) should be dedicated to research, innovation and development. “One wonders how the Minister came about the $500 million he mentioned as being benchmarked for the fund,” the union queried.

The union also lamented the non-integration of key allowances into the Consolidated Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONUASS), including Consolidated Tools Allowance (CATA), Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and Professorial Allowance (PA).

Opata blamed the delay on inadequate government funding and accused some state governments of failing to key into the agreement despite participating in the negotiations that produced it.

ASUU equally decried the continued non-payment of several outstanding entitlements owed lecturers, including arrears from the 25-35 per cent salary award, promotion arrears, unpaid third-party deductions, pension remittances, salary shortfalls linked to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), and withheld salaries from the 2022 ASUU strike action. “As at the time of filing this press conference, our members are yet to be paid,” Opata said.

The union further expressed concern over what it described as undue interference in university administration by governing councils, visitors and vice chancellors. It cited Benue State University as an example, alleging attempts by the Chairman of the Governing Council to overturn the appointment of a Deputy Vice Chancellor.

On academic standards, ASUU condemned what it described as questionable appointments and promotions to professorial ranks in some universities. The union specifically alleged that the Federal University Lokoja was currently investigating four cases of questionable promotions to professor.

ASUU also expressed concern over the welfare of retired academics, lamenting delays in the payment of pensions and gratuities. The union cited the case of late Professor Targema Iorvaa of Benue State University, who allegedly died without receiving his retirement benefits.

The union also opposed moves to downgrade indigenous languages as tools of instruction in schools, warning that such a policy contradicted the National Policy on Education and could undermine national development. “It portends grave danger to auto-centric development as the thought patterns that would birth the expected development are first processed in borrowed language; English,” the union argued.

ASUU appealed to stakeholders in the education sector to prevail on both federal and state governments to fully implement the 2025 agreement and avert another nationwide industrial dispute.

Also speaking, the National Investment Secretary of ASUU, Prof. Celestine Aguoru, who noted that ASUU’s resort to strike was the last option, lamented that several Nigerian universities were existing on borrowed time given their neglect by the government and lack of funds to meet their obligations, saying the union would not sit and watch the government ruin the Nigerian University system.

Prof. Aguoru disclosed that by the beginning of June, the union would convene an emergency meeting where the decision on the action to be taken by ASUU would be reached, advising that Nigerians blame the Federal Government if universities are shut down.

The Nsukka Zone comprises Benue State University, Makurdi; Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi; Enugu State University of Science and Technology; Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo; Kogi State University, Anyigba; Federal University Lokoja; Federal University Wukari; and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.