Tutorial Employees Union of Universities (ASUU) members staged peaceable protests throughout a number of Nigerian universities on Tuesday, demanding that the Federal Authorities totally implement long-standing agreements courting again to 2009.
The demonstrations, spanning establishments together with the College of Calabar (Unical), University of Ibadan (UI), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), College of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), College of Abuja, others over unpaid salaries, stalled reforms, poor working situations, and authorities delay ways.
The union argues that regardless of a number of agreements with the federal government through the years, commitments on college funding, analysis grants, and wage enhancements stay unmet.
Protest particulars by college:
University of Ibadan (UI)
The Chairperson, ASUU, UI department, Dr Aderemi Afolabi led members carrying banners throughout campus, highlighting the federal government’s failure to implement the 2009 settlement.
The protest aimed to impress on authorities the necessity to act on suggestions from the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed report submitted in February 2025.
Afolabi criticized authorities delay ways and warned that lecturers had been more and more pissed off by repeated postponements.
“Our members are more and more pissed off with the federal government’s delay ways, the so-called ‘hold them speaking’ syndrome.
“The union is properly conscious of the deliberate assembly scheduled for August 28, 2025, however the prevailing sentiment amongst our members is obvious: they’re now not prepared to be dragged alongside endlessly, with out tangible outcomes,” Afolabi stated.
Bayero College Kano (BUK)
ASUU-BUK Vice-Chairman Comrade Yusuf Madugu stated the protest grew to become mandatory after the federal government didn’t act on renegotiated agreements. He famous that because the conclusion of negotiations in December 2024, together with the 2009 settlement underneath a number of authorities committees, the federal government had but to implement key provisions.
Calls for embrace fee of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries after the 2022 strike, elevated wages, college autonomy, and the discharge of revitalisation funds.
Madugu warned that the federal government can be held accountable for any penalties if calls for had been ignored. College students additionally urged the federal government to interact ASUU in dialogue to guard educational calendars.
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
The ASUU-OAU Chairman, Prof. Anthony Odiwe, led lecturers carrying placards with inscriptions like “Lecturers Are Not Slaves” and “We Say No To Loans.”
He accused the Federal Authorities of neglecting educational employees, failing to pay withheld salaries, and delaying funding for universities. Odiwe known as on conventional rulers, spiritual leaders, and lawmakers to intervene and guarantee swift authorities motion.
College of Abuja
ASUU Chairman, College of Abuja chapter, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh disclosed that staffs had remained on the identical wage construction since 2009 regardless of repeated guarantees.
“Our members are dying in growing numbers, 90 per cent of these deaths are stress associated.
“No nation can develop past the energy and high quality of its college schooling system,” Ugoh stated.
Ugoh added that ASUU had been affected person with the present administration for 2 years, anticipating motion on low-hanging points.
“We’ve seen no motion. Guarantees have been made, however none fulfilled,” he acknowledged.
He additionally rejected the federal government’s proposed mortgage preparations, stressing that what the union wanted was fee of entitlements, not credit score gives that members won’t have the ability to repay.
“We don’t want loans. Pay us our three and a half months withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and the 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage awards.
“After that, we are able to focus on different choices if wanted,” he stated
Ugoh additional urged the federal government to uphold college autonomy and permit establishments to function independently.
Some contexts
The 2009 ASUU/FGN settlement and subsequent renegotiations had been designed to enhance salaries, infrastructure, funding, and autonomy throughout Nigeria’s federal universities.
- Regardless of repeated assurances, the federal government has didn’t implement key provisions, prompting repeated warnings and the present wave of nationwide protests.
- In Might, ASUU warned the Federal Authorities to implement the 2009 FG/ASUU settlement or face a nationwide strike.
- ASUU President Chris Piwuna stated 9 key points stay unresolved, together with stalled renegotiations since 2017, unpaid salaries from the 2022 strike, unfulfilled IPPIS entitlements, delayed revitalisation funds, and unpaid educational allowances.
Guarantees to offer N150 billion to universities and modify irregular allowances by 2026 haven’t been met. Adoption of the College Transparency and Accountability Resolution (UTAS) because the official fee system