NIGERIA’s public universities may once again face closure as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned of a fresh nationwide strike over the Federal Government’s failure to honour longstanding agreements.
News Point Nigeria reports that the warning was issued on Thursday at a press conference held at the University of Jos, where ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, accused the government of destroying the trust built on the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
Piwuna listed several unresolved issues, including: the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, outstanding salary arrears and withheld promotions, proper funding of public universities and revitalisation of infrastructure and welfare of retired lecturers.
According to him, lecturers have endured over two years of broken promises, half-measures, and delay tactics from the Federal Government.
“The general public should note that ASUU has written several letters to the FGN, drawing its attention to the need to resolve this crisis amicably. Lamentably, the FGN has always turned a deaf ear to our pleas,” Piwuna stated.
He warned that ASUU may be left with no option but to embark on another strike if the government fails to act swiftly.
The ASUU president also dismissed the government’s proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund Loan Scheme, describing it as a trap that undermines the dignity of lecturers.
“Our members do not need loans. What we need is the implementation of agreements that will improve our purchasing power. Government is still owing us three months’ salaries, yet they are asking us to borrow money,” Piwuna said.
ASUU further criticised the government for proliferating universities without sustainable funding, warning that the trend has worsened the decay in facilities, staff welfare, and global rankings of Nigerian institutions.
On pensions, the union lamented the plight of retired professors, some of whom, despite serving the nation for over four decades, now receive as little as ₦150,000 monthly, a figure they say is grossly inadequate given inflation and economic realities.
The union announced that its members will begin staging protest rallies across campuses next week to register their frustrations.
ASUU, however, said it will await the outcome of a government meeting scheduled for August 28 before taking a final decision on whether to declare an indefinite strike.
“Time is running out. We cannot continue to wait endlessly while the future of Nigerian universities is destroyed.”
The prospect of another strike has raised fresh concerns among students, parents, and education stakeholders. Nigeria’s university system has already been severely disrupted in recent years, with multiple strikes causing prolonged delays in academic calendars and worsening the brain drain of scholars to foreign institutions.
