THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi Zone, has raised the alarm over what it described as the Federal Government’s lack of commitment to resolving lingering issues in the nation’s university system.
It warned that another nationwide strike may be imminent if urgent actions were not taken.
News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during a press conference held at Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos, on Monday, the zonal coordinator, Timothy Namo, claimed that the government had shown little interest in addressing key matters despite the suspension of the union’s two-week warning strike declared on October 13, 2025.
Namo recalled that ASUU suspended the warning strike on October 21 after a National Executive Council (NEC) emergency meeting, where the union observed an overwhelming show of support from students, the media, labour unions, the National Assembly, and concerned Nigerians.
The suspension, he said, was intended to create room for meaningful engagement and resolution.
However, he lamented that “barely one week to the expiration of the four-week window given to the government, nothing substantial has been achieved”.
According to him, the NEC meeting held from November 8 to 9 at Taraba State University rejected the salary increment proposal presented by the government, describing it as “a drop in the ocean, far below expectations to reverse the brain drain syndrome that has crippled the university system across Nigeria”.
He stressed that while some non-monetary aspects of the renegotiation process had recorded progress, the most critical components—salaries and working conditions—remain unresolved.
He also frowned at what he termed a deliberate attempt by some government officials to undermine negotiations.
“There is no sufficient evidence from the government’s response so far to suggest that education is a priority in Nigeria and that the government truly desires to avert a crisis in the universities,” Namo said.
He criticised the partial payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the release of third-party deductions as inadequate gestures, saying they do little to rebuild trust.
Contrary to the government’s claims of insufficient funds, ASUU cited financial allocations showing significant increases to both federal and state governments.
Namo further noted that states received ₦3.92 trillion in 2022 and ₦5.81 trillion in 2024, while the Federal Government received ₦3.42 trillion in 2022 and ₦4.65 trillion in 2024, representing increases of more than 62 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively.
“These statistics confirm that it is not lack of funds but lack of political will and misplacement of priorities that make education suffer in Nigeria,” he insisted.
The union called on traditional rulers, civil society organisations, student bodies, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the National Assembly to intervene to prevent another disruption of academic activities.
Namo also urged the government to use the remaining days of the negotiation window wisely, saying the surest way to safeguard the nation’s future is through massive investment in education.
In October, 2025, ASUU suspended the two-week warning strike it began on October 13, 2025, following renewed commitments from the Federal Government and the National Assembly to address the union’s demands.