With a nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) looming, Nigerians have been urged to pressure the Federal Government to address the longstanding demands of lecturers to prevent the industrial action.
Dr. Alex Akanmu, Chairman of the ASUU University of Ilorin branch, made the appeal on Thursday, outlining the key demands which include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-Federal Government agreement, sustainable funding and revitalization of universities, university autonomy, resolution of outstanding 25-35 percent salary arrears and third-party deductions, as well as the non-payment and integration of earned academic allowances into university payrolls.
Speaking on the need to renegotiate the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, Adamu stated, “It is widely known that our salaries have remained virtually unchanged for the past 16 years, despite the clear provision that the 2009 renegotiated agreement was to be reviewed every three years.”
“Unfortunately, it took the government a staggering eight years until 2017, to ever constitute renegotiation committee for this purpose.”
He added that said since then, “successive committees including the Wale Babalakin-led joint committee, the Professor Munzali Jubril-led committee and later the Late Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs led committee, have been set up to engage ASUU.
“The outcome of these engagements, was a draft agreement reached in 2021 between ASUU and the Nimi Briggs led committee.
“However, despite the fact that the committee was appointed by the government itself, government has refused to sign the resulting draft.
“In the spirit of constructive engagement, ASUU, gave the current administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ample time to address the persistent challenges facing the public universities, but to our dismay, no concrete effort has been made to resolve these issues.”
According to the ASUU chairman, the Federal Government’s continued inaction has further pauperized Nigerian academics in comparison to their global counterparts.
“It is important to stress that ASUU, has not forgotten that all these negotiation efforts initiated by the Federal government itself, have led nowhere, as resulting draft agreements were never implemented.
“A true test of the government’s sincerity now lies in how it handles the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed report, submitted since February 2025, which encapsulates all contentious issues and reflects a consensus with our union.
“Our members are increasingly frustrated with the government’s delay tactics so called ‘keep them talking ‘ syndrome.
“The union is well aware of the planned meeting scheduled for August 28,2025, but the prevailing sentiment among our members is clear, they are no longer willing to be dragged along endlessly without tangible outcomes,” he declared.
Adamu further raised the alarm that the persistent erosion of varsity autonomy by the government continues with alarming impunity.
He said ASUU had opposed the unlawful dissolution of governing councils in public universities, even in instances where no misconduct has been reported and the councils have not completed their statutory tenure.
On the three and half months withheld salaries, as a result of the punitive ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy enforced by the previous administration during the 2023 strike, the union urged the government to promptly clear the outstanding payments in the interest of justice and industrial harmony.
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