We won’t stop fighting for survival of Nigerian Universities – ASUU

…Urges FG to prioritise education

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has called on the Federal Government to prioritise education, which is the bedrock of national development, saying that despite threats, the Union will not stop fighting for the survival of Nigerian universities.

Speaking on Saturday at a press conference organised by the Bauchi Zone of the Union, the Zonal Coordinator, Professor Timothy Namo, said the inability of the federal government to expedite action on resolving the contentious issues could lead to the disruption of academic activities in the Universities.

He recalled that on 28 August 2025, ASUU engaged the press at Sa’adu Zungur University, Gadau, Bauchi State, in line with a directive of its National Executive Council (NEC), warning of an imminent disruption of academic activities unless urgent action was taken.

According to him, the government inaction forced ASUU to declare a two-week warning strike on 13 October 2025. An emergency NEC meeting on 21 October reviewed developments and noted that, although the action generated public support from students, the media, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Assembly, the issues remained largely unresolved.

NEC then suspended the strike to give Government a one-month window to conclude renegotiations. However, with only days left before the deadline expires, “nothing substantial has been achieved.”

Professor Namo stated that at the NEC meeting held at Taraba State University, Jalingo, from 8–9 November 2025, the Union rejected the proposed salary increase, describing it as “a drop in the ocean” that cannot stem the worsening brain drain in Nigerian universities.

He noted that while progress had been made on some non-monetary components of the renegotiated agreement, the crucial salary and conditions-of-service issues remained unresolved.

He also stressed that the integrity of the renegotiation process was being undermined by certain government functionaries, whom he accused of subtly misrepresenting government offers.

According to him, such conduct weakens trust and complicates efforts to reach a sustainable agreement that would stabilise the university system.

ASUU emphasised that the part-payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017, alongside the belated release of outstanding third-party deductions, fell far short of what was needed to rebuild confidence among academics.

These partial gestures, the Union argued, merely highlight the government’s inconsistent commitment to addressing long-standing welfare challenges within the sector.

Citing Federal Accounts Allocation Committee data showing increased revenue flows between 2022 and 2024, the Union argued that the problem was not a lack of funds but a lack of political will and misplaced priorities. It maintained that massive investment in education remains the most reliable path to securing the future of Nigerian children.

ASUU called on traditional rulers, civil society groups, students, the NLC and the National Assembly to pressure the Government to act decisively to avert fresh crises in the university system.

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