The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed all its branches across Nigeria to commence a two-week warning strike from Monday.
President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced this at an ongoing press briefing at the headquarters of the union located in University of Abuja.
Piwuna said the decision to begin total warning strike became imperative after the government failed to do the needful regarding its demands.
"Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC's resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th September 2025."
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"Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, the 13th October, 2025.
"The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting," Piwuna said.
Last week when he appeared on Channels Television, Piwuna had called on the Federal Government to expedite the resolution of lingering issues affecting university lecturers.
He had commended the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for facilitating the release of ₦50 billion as part of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) owed to its members.
"I commend Dr. Alausa for fighting within government circles to ensure that the money comes out," Piwuna said. "We've seen his personal effort to get that done."
He clarified, however, that the ₦50 billion payment only addressed a small portion of ASUU's claims.
"The full amount owed in earned academic allowances stands at about ₦103 billion. We had agreed with the government under Dr. Ngige to forfeit 50%, provided the remaining 50% would be paid and mainstreamed into our salaries. But even that payment was delayed until recently," he explained.
Piwuna further disclosed that the government deducted 20% from ASUU's ₦50 billion share to settle other campus unions, such as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) -- a decision ASUU accepted in good faith.
"We did not argue over it. We've continued to make sacrifices," he said. "Dr. Alausa himself has acknowledged and appreciated us for that sacrifice."
The ASUU president stressed that while the union recognized efforts made by the current administration, Nigerians must understand that ASUU, too, has made significant concessions in the national interest.
"When people say President Tinubu or Dr. Alausa has done something, yes, we're not disputing that. But we too have made great sacrifices," he added.
According to Piwuna, ASUU's National Executive Council (NEC) held an emergency meeting last week to deliberate on a letter from Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, CFR, who chairs the Federal Government's team handling the union's unresolved issues.
"The letter from Alhaji Yayale Ahmed was considered by our union as a delay tactic by the government," Piwuna said. "They had asked for two weeks about two weeks ago, and in the new letter, they are asking for another three weeks to get back to us. NEC considered that as an attempt at delaying the resolution of this crisis."
He emphasized that all of ASUU's branches were represented at the NEC meeting, with over 70 chartered chapters in attendance.
"We all met and looked at the state of our struggle, where we are, and what next steps to take," he stated.
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Piwuna lamented that despite several meetings and promises, the Federal Government had yet to address key issues, including unpaid salary arrears, earned academic allowances, and the withheld salaries from the union's 2022 industrial action.
"We're still being owed 12 months of the 25-35% salary increase awarded by this current government. We also have three and a half months of salary that was withheld from the 2022 action. We think that that action by government to withhold our salary is punitive," he said.
On the contentious 'no work, no pay' policy, Piwuna noted that the industrial court's ruling on the matter was inconclusive.
"The court said it was okay if government paid us our salaries, and it was also okay if they decided not to pay. Basically, it was left to the government's discretion," he explained.
The ASUU president warned that the union's patience is wearing thin, cautioning that unless genuine progress is made, ASUU would have no choice but to proceed with its planned warning strike.
