By Joy Yesufu
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has warned that Nigeria’s public university system could face another round of industrial unrest if the Federal Government and state governments fail to fully implement the December 2025 agreement reached with the union.
The warning followed the union’s National Executive Council meeting held at Modibbo Adama University between May 9 and 10, 2026.
In a statement issued on Monday by ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, the union expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as the “distorted and uncoordinated” implementation of the agreement signed with the Federal Government.
ASUU said it had maintained “a studied silence” since the agreement was publicly unveiled in January 2026, but decided to speak out after reviewing the level of compliance and unresolved issues affecting university lecturers.
“The momentum generated with the unveiling of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement on January 14, 2026, is fast waning and may soon be lost if government’s promise to fully implement the agreement is not kept,” the statement read.
The union blamed the situation partly on the failure to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee, which it said was designed to oversee proper execution of the agreement.
According to ASUU, both federal and state authorities have implemented aspects of the agreement inconsistently, while only a few state governments have complied substantially with the terms reached during negotiations.
The union accused some federal university administrators of selectively implementing components of the agreement, including Consolidated Academic Allowances, Earned Academic Allowances, and Professorial Allowances, rather than integrating them into the Consolidated Academic Salary Structure as agreed.
ASUU also criticised some state governments for allegedly refusing to implement the agreement despite participating in the negotiation process.
The union reaffirmed its commitment to securing the full benefits of what it described as the gains of the eight-year negotiation process between 2017 and 2025.
On research funding, ASUU faulted the Federal Government’s proposed National Research Council and the Minister of Education’s announcement of a National Research and Innovation Development Fund.
According to the union, the proposals fall short of the 2025 agreement, which recommends allocating at least one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product to research, innovation, and development.
ASUU also questioned the proposed $500m funding arrangement for research initiatives, expressing concerns over possible reliance on external borrowing.
The union further raised concerns over unresolved welfare issues, including salary arrears, promotion arrears, unpaid deductions, salary shortfalls under the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, and withheld salaries linked to the 2022 strike action.
It also criticised delays in pension payments for retired lecturers, particularly in state-owned universities, and accused the National Pension Commission of delaying pension harmonisation.
The union called on Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his capacity as Visitor to federal universities, to intervene and address the lingering welfare concerns.
ASUU also opposed the reversal of the mother-tongue policy in early childhood education, describing the move as retrogressive.
The union rejected plans to establish a campus of Coventry University in Nigeria under a transnational education arrangement, arguing that such a move could weaken local tertiary institutions.
It also faulted the compulsory enrolment of academics into the Nigeria Education Repository Databank, describing the initiative as a violation of academic autonomy and data protection principles.
In addition, ASUU criticised proposals to scrap certain university courses considered “irrelevant,” insisting that humanities and social sciences remain critical to national development, innovation, and critical thinking.
The union further raised concerns about alleged maladministration and questionable academic appointments in some universities warning that worsening insecurity, political tension, and economic hardship ahead of the 2027 general elections could further destabilise the education sector.
It cautioned that continued neglect of lecturers’ welfare may trigger another industrial action, noting that frustration among members was increasing.
The union urged Nigerians to prevail on governments at all levels to fully implement the agreement and resolve all outstanding issues, adding that its NEC would reconvene in the coming weeks to assess developments and determine the next line of action.
