By our reporter
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a nationwide two-week warning strike set to begin midnight on Monday, October 13, bringing academic activities across Nigerian public universities to an abrupt halt.
The industrial action follows the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government, demanding urgent intervention in lingering issues affecting university lecturers and the broader educational system.
According to the union, the strike is total and comprehensive, with all academic staff expected to withdraw from classrooms and administrative duties until further notice.
At the heart of the dispute is the government’s failure to fulfill commitments made in previous negotiations. ASUU is demanding full implementation of the 2009 renegotiated agreement, prompt payment of Earned Academic Allowances, improved university funding, and resolution of salary arrears, promotion backlogs, and withheld wages.
In a statement released after its National Executive Council meeting, ASUU accused the Federal Government of neglecting the public university system and showing no political will to address core issues.
The time for patience has run out, the statement read. This two-week warning strike is our way of sounding the alarm again. If nothing changes, we will be left with no choice but to embark on a full-blown, indefinite strike.
The Federal Government insists it has made progress. The Ministry of Education recently disclosed that 50 billion naira was released for Earned Allowances and 150 billion naira earmarked for revitalization efforts in the 2025 budget. However, ASUU argues that these actions are merely cosmetic and lack transparency and urgency.
There is no concrete timeline. No accountability. Just figures thrown around to pacify the public, said one ASUU official.
For students, it is a painful case of déjà vu. Lecture halls will go quiet, examinations postponed, and graduation dates pushed back yet again. Many undergraduates who spoke to reporters expressed frustration and hopelessness, saying their futures are being held hostage by a broken system.
This is not just about lecturers and government — it is about millions of young Nigerians whose dreams are being delayed, said one final-year student at the University of Lagos.
ASUU says the strike is just the beginning — a warning shot to the Tinubu administration. If no meaningful action is taken within the two-week window, the union may escalate to an indefinite nationwide strike, potentially crippling Nigeria’s tertiary education system further.
With tension mounting and public pressure rising, all eyes are now on Aso Rock to respond before lecture theatres become ghost towns indefinitely.
