ASUU threatens strikes in Oyo, Kwara, Enugu over pay deal

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning of industrial action in Oyo, Kwara, and Enugu states, citing the failure of state governments to implement the 2025 agreement concerning lecturers' salaries and allowances.

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It is provocative and unjust. Our members in these institutions are being shortchanged by the governors and visitors of Oyo and Kwara states, who have failed to provide the financial backing required for full implementation of the signed agreement.

The union, specifically its Ibadan Zone, which includes several universities in the affected regions, has called upon the governors of Oyo and Kwara states to begin full implementation of the agreement by July 2026. Lecturers in institutions like Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, and Kwara State University are reportedly facing "severe hardship" due to the non-implementation, according to Prof. Biodun Olaniran, the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator.

Olaniran described the situation as "provocative and unjust," stating that governors and university visitors in Oyo and Kwara have failed to provide the necessary financial backing for the agreement. He acknowledged the efforts of the governing councils of these state universities but emphasized that the patience of ASUU members has been exhausted. The union is now mobilizing for a "comprehensive and indefinite strike" if the government's inaction persists.

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The patience of members had been exhausted, adding that the union had commenced full mobilisation for a comprehensive and indefinite strike if the government failed to act.

ASUU demands that the next salary payments for lecturers in the affected institutions must include the Consequential Adjustment and Transport Allowance (CATA) component, along with other benefits stipulated in the agreement. Furthermore, all accrued arrears dating back to January 2026 must be paid promptly. The union stressed that any further delay or prevarication by the state governments will "inevitably provoke a total, comprehensive and indefinite industrial action."

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The next salary of our members in these universities must reflect the CATA component and all other allowances stipulated in the agreement. All accrued arrears from January 2026 must be paid in full without delay.

While urging the governors to take immediate action to prevent disruptions to academic activities, ASUU maintains that full agreement implementation is the sole path to industrial harmony. The union also expressed sympathy for victims of insecurity in Oyo State and across Nigeria, calling for strengthened government security systems.

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We state, with all sense of responsibility, that any failure or further prevarication by the state governments will inevitably provoke a total, comprehensive and indefinite industrial action.