LThe Academic Staff Union of Universities, has strongly criticised the Federal Government over what it called the poor implementation of the 2025 FG-ASUU Agreement, warning that mounting frustration among university lecturers could spark another round of industrial action across Nigerian universities.
The warning followed the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held at Modibbo Adama University, where ASUU accused both federal and state governments of neglecting vital aspects of the agreement signed in December 2025 to stabilise the country’s tertiary education sector.
Speaking after the meeting, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, said the progress recorded after the agreement was “fast waning” due to the government’s inability to fully implement major welfare and funding commitments.
“The increasing frustration occasioned by the seeming government’s disinterestedness in the welfare of Nigerian academics is brewing a pent-up anger which could erupt into a new wave of industrial unrest if not addressed,” the union warned.
ASUU faulted the Federal Government for failing to set up the Implementation Monitoring Committee, IMC, which it said was meant to ensure proper execution of the agreement and prevent bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The union alleged that while some federal universities were selectively paying lecturers’ entitlements such as Consolidated Academic Tool Allowances, CATA, Earned Academic Allowances, EAA, and Professorial Allowances, PA, many state governments had reportedly failed to implement the agreement at all.
“Vice-Chancellors are picking and choosing what to pay,” ASUU said, maintaining that all allowances should have been fully incorporated into lecturers’ salary structures.
ASUU also expressed concern over unresolved welfare issues, including outstanding arrears from the 25–35 per cent salary award, unpaid promotion arrears, salary shortfalls linked to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, unremitted third-party deductions, and the withheld three-and-a-half months salaries following the 2022 ASUU strike.
According to the union, neglecting lecturers’ welfare posed a serious threat to national development.
“No country can progress when the welfare issues of its academics are left unattended,” ASUU declared, accusing the government of treating scholars “like menial workers”.
The union further lamented the condition of retired lecturers, alleging that pensioners in several state universities were owed years of pension arrears, while efforts to harmonise pensions had stalled.
Beyond welfare concerns, ASUU criticised recent education reforms introduced by Education Minister Tunji Alausa.
The union rejected the proposed Transnational Education, TNE, policy that seeks to establish a campus of Coventry University in Nigeria, describing the initiative as “neo-colonial” and a threat to Nigeria’s educational independence.
“We are at a loss as to why the government cannot make its own universities globally competitive enough to attract foreign students and scholars,” ASUU stated.
ASUU also opposed the reversal of the mother-tongue policy in favour of English-language instruction at the early childhood education level, arguing that the decision contradicted global research and international best practices.
The union further rejected the compulsory registration of academics on the Nigeria Education Repository Databank, NERD, warning that it could infringe on digital privacy rights and weaken academic independence.
On plans to scrap courses considered “irrelevant”, especially in the humanities and social sciences, ASUU accused the government of oversimplifying the country’s unemployment challenges.
“Every course in the university has its utilitarian values,” the union argued, insisting that subjects such as philosophy, linguistics, religious studies and fine arts remained essential for creativity, communication and critical thinking.
ASUU vowed to resist any move aimed at arbitrarily removing academic programmes from Nigerian universities.
The union also accused some university administrators and governing councils of financial misconduct, irregular appointments and creating controversial positions such as “Professor of Practice” and “Diaspora Professors” allegedly to favour associates.
ASUU further condemned the alleged move by the Niger State Government to reclaim the Bosso campus of Federal University of Technology Minna years after the land had been allocated to the institution.
According to the union, such action could set a dangerous precedent capable of undermining cooperation between federal and state governments in higher education development.
The union also painted a bleak picture of Nigeria’s socio-economic situation, warning that worsening insecurity, poverty, inflation and rising political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections could trigger “a looming national crisis of monumental proportion”.
ASUU claimed that more than 133 million Nigerians were living in multidimensional poverty, while insecurity across different parts of the country continued to disrupt livelihoods and educational activities.
The union appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and relevant stakeholders to urgently resolve the outstanding issues in order to sustain industrial peace in universities and avoid another prolonged academic disruption.
While reaffirming its commitment to dialogue, ASUU disclosed that its NEC had directed that an emergency meeting be held within weeks to review developments and decide on its next course of action.
