Unless a sudden agreement is reached between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the union plans to initiate a two-week warning strike starting Monday, October 13th, 2025.
This decision follows the expiration of a two-week ultimatum ASUU issued to the government, demanding resolution of outstanding issues. The deadline lapses Sunday night, with no official response from the government regarding the potential strike.
The current standoff emerges despite ongoing discussions aimed at preventing another disruption in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Just last Wednesday, Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa revealed that the government is in the final stages of negotiations with ASUU and other related unions to settle long-standing concerns about asuu-strike-ultimatum/” title=”Alex Ekwueme Varsity … Issues Ultimatum, Threatens Nationwide Strike!”>staff welfare, funding, and the enforcement of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
Dr. Alausa also highlighted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has made notable strides, including the release of N50 billion to cover Earned Academic Allowances. Additionally, N150 billion has been allocated in the 2025 budget for a comprehensive needs assessment, to be distributed in three installments.
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“Our lecturers deserve fair compensation, and both academic and non-academic staff merit enhanced welfare packages. However, it’s unrealistic to fulfill all demands immediately. What counts is our genuine effort and dedication to meaningful improvements,” Alausa stated.
Contrastingly, ASUU President Prof. Chris Piwuna refuted the Ministry’s claims in a Saturday statement, labeling them as the government’s usual falsehoods and delays in tackling critical issues affecting university educators.
“The ultimatum ends on Sunday, and if no substantial progress is made, a warning strike will commence. We expect a concrete response from the government within the next 48 hours,” Piwuna asserted.
“Following that, we will consult our members to determine if the government’s offer is adequate to continue negotiations. Our next steps will reflect the collective decision of our members,” he added.
