Academic Staff Union of Universities on Tuesday shut both campuses of the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom state and the University of Abuja, over the union’s nationwide protest against the federal government’s ill-treatment, including failure to complete the renegotiated 2009 agreement.
The shutdown has resulted in suspension of all examinations scheduled to commence from Tuesday in the university as lecturers came out in numbers early in the day in protest over the town campus of the University, the annex and Ikpa Road.
The protesters flew placards asserting, “Our salaries are too poor’, ‘pay us sustainable living salaries’, ‘Treat lecturers with some dignity’, ‘We are FG lecturers and not borrower, ‘Government please sign and implement our renegotiated agreement,” among others.
Prof Opeyemi Olajide, Chairperson, ASUU Uniuyo lamented at the main campus how federal varsities lecturers in Nigeria have been on fixed salary for over 16 years without any increase despite the harsh economic realities.
“Today, University lecturers are staging protest to let the world know how federal government is treating us with disdain. Federal Government of Nigeria has decided to destroy public university system as it did to public primary and secondary schools.
“Federal government still withheld our salaries for three and half months after we have done the job. We have been on same salary for 16 years. Federal government has refused to fund infrastructure in public universities, look at where you are taking your exams, is it befitting?
“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 students of the institution.
He ordered all students who came for their Computer Based Test, CBT, exams to go home as no examination would be administered, threatening the union might embark on an indefinite strike if nothing is done to address their concerns.
Dr Nwachukwu Anyim, former ASUU Chairperson, Uniuyo branch said, “If you expect university lecturers to earn same salary for over 15 years and you are still imagining reviewing salaries of political office holders, that is wickedness of the highest order, for those who already earning humongous salaries?
“You are even thinking of reviewing it, that is wickedness! We are doing this (on strike) to tell Nigerians we don’t like the going on strike but there is no option. My salaries have been withheld, loans that I took, I’ve ended up paying, then they deducted salaries and the deductions are in someone’s pocket or bank account.
“That’s wickedness, yet we still go to class to teach our students. Those in power that maltreat us should know that power is transient
Where are the Ngiges’ of this world today?”
At UniAbuja, addressing the protesters, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, Chairman of the ASUU UniAbuja chapter, said the action was aimed at drawing the attention of the federal government and the public to the worsening hardship confronting academic staff.
He lamented that lecturers have been on the same salary structure since 2009 despite the government’s promise of periodic reviews every three years. According to him, the 2009 agreement, due for renegotiation in 2012, was only revisited in 2017 and finally concluded in February 2025 under the Elijah Yayale Ahmed-led committee, yet remains unimplemented.
“Since that report was submitted, nothing has been done. Today, it is becoming increasingly difficult for our members to survive. Across the nation, we hear of the deaths of academic staff, many of which are stress-related,” Ugoh said.
He revealed that the government currently owes lecturers three and a half months’ salaries, a full year’s arrears of the 25 and 35 per cent wage awards, as well as over five years of unpaid promotion arrears.
He also faulted the government’s failure to remit third-party deductions meant for cooperatives and unions.
“It is not a favour we seek. We worked for these salaries. Pay us our arrears, implement the renegotiation report, and release our promotion arrears. The government boasts there’s no strike under them, but the reality is that we have only been patient,” he stressed.
Ugoh further criticised proposals to offer loans to academic staff, describing them as insensitive while legitimate entitlements remain unpaid. He warned that the continued neglect of lecturers’ welfare was worsening brain drain, eroding the quality of education, and undermining national development.
“No nation develops beyond the strength of its universities. If the government is serious about Nigeria’s progress, it must first strengthen the university system. Let us halt this brain drain and rescue our universities,” he added.
