Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) nationwide have expressed their readiness to shut down their respective institutions following the federal government's failure to meet their demands.
The university lecturers premised their resolutions to put the tertiary institutions under lock and key again after two years of a similar scenario happening over the failed implementation of the renegotiated agreement, payment of withheld salaries, improved funding of the nation's institutions, among others.
Armed with placards during a nationwide protest across the country on Tuesday, the university teachers also announced total rejection of the recently introduced Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund loan scheme, arguing that what academics and researchers need is their legitimate earnings and grants, not loans.
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Some of the states where the academics demonstrated include Maiduguri, Kano, Jos, Lagos, Uyo, Enugu, among others.
Maiduguri: UNIMAID lecturers lambast FG over N150,000 retirement benefits
The University of Maiduguri chapter of the union was led by UNIMAID ASUU Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Mshelia, where its members decried the poor treatment of Nigerian academics.
Berating the federal government, Mshelia described N150,000 monthly retirement benefit being paid to professors and senior lecturers as a "national disgrace."
Mshelia, who addressed members after the one-hour protest on campus, said Nigeria cannot make progress when it treats its intellectuals with disregard.
"Professors who have spent over 40 years teaching generations are retiring on a meagre N150,000 under the contributory pension scheme, while inflation is above 21 per cent. This is a national disgrace," he said.
He also lamented the poor welfare of university staff, saying many academics are still owed salary arrears, wage rewards of 25-35 per cent, and promotion arrears that have remained unpaid for more than four years.
The varsity don accused the government of neglecting its responsibilities, noting that these unresolved issues are hurting both lecturers and the education system.
ASUU UNIMAID also rejected the Federal Government's staff loan scheme, the non-remittance of third-party deductions, the refusal to sign the renegotiated 2009 agreement, and the renaming of the University of Maiduguri after the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
BUK ASUU to FG: Sign, implement renegotiated agreement
Similarly, the Bayero University Kano (BUK) branch also staged a protest in Kano, demanding the immediate signing and implementation of its renegotiated agreement with the Federal Government, payment of withheld salaries, and improved funding of the nation's universities.
Speaking during the protest, the Vice Chairman of ASUU-BUK, Comrade Yusuf Madugu, said the action was a "first step" to compel the government to respond to lingering demands that have dragged on for years.
He noted that the union has undergone several rounds of renegotiation with different government-appointed committees, including those led by Prof. Munzali Jibrin and Prof. Nimi Briggs, without results.
According to him, the most recent renegotiation with the Malam Yayale Ahmed-led committee was concluded in December 2024, but the government has failed to act on it.
"This protest is timely. We want to believe that this is the right time to do it. These demands have taken longer than necessary, and the time to address them is now. Government must succumb and meet our demands," Madugu declared.
On the recurring face-off with the Federal Government, Madugu said the union had exhausted all diplomatic channels but was forced into protests as "the only language the government seems to understand."
Act fast before August ends, UNIJOS ASUU tells FG
On their part, lecturers at the University of Jos urged the Federal Government to act swiftly in meeting their demands before shutting down their services.
According to the lecturers who marched to the institution's Senate building, chanting various slogans, failure to address their concerns by the end of August would lead to severe consequences in the education sector, particularly in tertiary institutions.
Speaking on behalf of the UNIJOS ASUU Chairman, Comrade Jurbe Joseph Molwus, noted that President Bola Tinubu had promised during his 2023 campaign to settle all their claims and never allow strikes in universities during his tenure, saying, "but unfortunately, the claims are yet to be addressed."
Comrade Molwus said their members would no longer accept excuses from the government, calling on the general public to hold the government accountable if they fail to take the necessary action to address the burning issues.
"We therefore wish to caution the government on this principle in addressing the issues in our draft agreement, which is undoubtedly a product of collective bargaining.
"NEC considered and acknowledged the planned government stakeholders meeting of 28th August, 2025.
"Sadly, instead of focusing on the issues, the FGN is diverting and shifting its attention from the process of collective bargaining," he added.
ASUU president tells lecturers to protect their allowances
Meanwhile, president of the ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, who led the Plateau State University (PLASU) branch of the union, called on its members to protect their Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).
The president and union members, who marched around the school premises and to the gate with placards depicting different inscriptions, were joined by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shadrach Best.
In his remarks, the ASUU President said that despite the ironic show of solidarity with the union, they will still fight the VC if he does not meet their demand.
"The demand in any state university is the demand of every federal university. The demand in any federal university is the demand of every state university.
"Any member of ASUU who is shortchanged or victimised in a state university is as good as one who has been victimised or ill-treated in a federal university. The concerns of any academic staff member in ASUU are the concerns of our charter.
"There should be engagement and no fight. But the point is this: We are ready for a fight. Yes, we are ready.
"In as much as we are ready to discuss and sit around the table with anybody, if that sitting is not yielding results and our demands met, we are ready to stand.
"And if that standing is not enough, we are ready to chase. We will chase and chase until our demands are met," Piwuna said.
On his part, ASUU Chairman of PLASU, Dr. Monday Hassan Zitta, explained that they had initiated a communication process with the management of the university on mainstreaming of EAA.
He said a committee was set up by the university, comprising some members of the union and some management staff of the university.
The chairman noted that they could not reach an agreement on the issues and that this is a call for industrial disharmony in the university.
Reacting, the VC said the school management would not fight with ASUU, but rather engage with it.
ASUU protest paralyses academic activities at Uni Uyo
The University of Uyo branch of the union also joined the nationwide protest, calling on the Federal Government to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement with the union.
The protesters, mainly professors and senior lecturers, marched along the town campus of the university, the university annex and Ikpa Road, displaying placards of various inscriptions.
Some of the inscriptions read, "Our salaries are too poor", "Pay us sustainable living salaries", "Treat lecturers with some dignity", "We are FG lecturers and not borrowers", "Government, please sign and implement our renegotiated agreement," among others.
Daily Trust reports that the protest paralysed academic and social activities of the three campuses as all the examinations scheduled for August 26, 2025, were suspended.
Addressing the protesters at the town campus of the university, the chairperson of the branch, Prof. Opeyemi Olajide, expressed dismay that federal university lecturers in Nigeria have been on a fixed salary for over 16 years without any increase, despite the harsh economic realities.
He also expressed concern over the government's refusal to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement with the union or to renegotiate their salaries, which were due in 2012.
The ASUU boss lamented that the government had refused to pay 3rd party deductions for salaries paid almost a year ago and arrears of promotion, noting that the union would no longer allow the government to treat members' welfare with disdain.
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He, therefore, ordered all the students who came for their Computer-Based Test (CBT) exams to go home as no examination would be administered yesterday (Tuesday), even as he threatened that the union may embark on an indefinite strike if nothing is done to address their concerns.
"Today, university lecturers are staging a protest to let the world know how the federal government is treating us with disdain. The Federal Government of Nigeria has decided to dismantle the public university system, following the destruction of public primary and secondary schools.
"The federal government still withheld our salaries for three and a half months after we had done the job. We have been on the same salary for 16 years.
"The federal government has refused to fund infrastructure in public universities. Look at where you are taking your exams, is it befitting? The federal government has refused to fund infrastructure in public universities; we are not happy about it. So there is no examination today, go home," he told the students.
We're ready for nationwide strike - Lagos ASUU
The University of Lagos branch of ASUU also staged protests around the campus, indicating its readiness for a looming nationwide strike if the federal government continues to "look the other way to their plights."
The union observed that it has become obvious that the federal government is unwilling to meet its age-long demands despite its consistent appeals and waiting for action to address them.
The members of the branch also carried placards with different inscriptions such as "Lecturers too want earthly rewards for teaching," "Neglect of university education is a pact with underdevelopment", and so on.
He said the thing that would stop them from embarking on the proposed industrial action is for the federal government to do the needful.
By Idowu Isamotu (Abuja), Salim Ibrahim (Kano), Ado Musa & Dickson Adama (Jos)
