ASUU Warns of Fresh University Crisis Over Unimplemented Agreements

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a stern warning, signaling that Nigeria's public universities are teetering on the brink of another industrial crisis. The union attributes this impending turmoil directly to the federal government's persistent failure to honor the agreements previously reached. This stance, articulated by the ASUU Sokoto Zone, highlights a deep-seated frustration among academics regarding neglected welfare and critical funding issues that continue to plague the university system.

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The continued delay in addressing these issues is capable of provoking avoidable industrial unrest in the university system.

A primary point of contention is the prolonged delay in implementing the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement. Despite its public signing and presentation, the crucial Implementation Monitoring Committee has yet to be inaugurated. ASUU argues that this inaction has created a breeding ground for tension across campuses, leading to inconsistent and often selective application of the agreement's terms by various university administrations. This lack of commitment from the government is seen as a direct threat to industrial harmony and the overall stability of Nigerian universities.

Beyond the core agreement, a litany of unresolved welfare issues continues to burden lecturers. These include significant arrears in salary increments, promotion backlogs, salary shortfalls stemming from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), unremitted deductions, withheld salaries from the 2022 strike, and delayed pension payments for retired academics. The situation is compounded in state-owned universities, which face additional hurdles such as unpaid Earned Academic Allowances, non-remittance of cooperative and union dues, and the absence of governing councils in some institutions.

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We call on both Federal and State Governments to faithfully implement every component of the Agreement in the interest of industrial harmony and stability in Nigerian universities.

ASUU also voiced strong opposition to certain recent government policies, particularly the proposed establishment of a Nigerian campus for Coventry University. The union contends that such transnational education initiatives risk undermining local universities and fostering an unhealthy dependency on foreign institutions. Furthermore, ASUU stands firm against plans to scrap certain humanities and social science courses, asserting the continued relevance of all academic disciplines to national development. The union implicitly links these educational challenges to broader issues of unemployment, which they attribute to poor economic policies and corruption.

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The proposed establishment of a campus of Coventry University in Nigeria undermines local universities and promotes educational dependency.