ASUU March deadline passes as strike threat hangs over Nigerian universities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has issued a warning to the federal government that it will take action if lecturers' salaries are not fully implemented in line with a December 2025 agreement by the end of March, a deadline that has now passed.

ASUU President Christopher Piwuna confirmed the union's position in a recent interview, stating that members are growing increasingly weary of delays. "We are tired of waiting… our own interest is the full implementation of the 2025 agreement," he said.

The agreement in question, reached with the government in December 2025, includes a 40 per cent increase in allowances, an improved salary structure, and enhanced welfare provisions for academic staff. Piwuna acknowledged that some changes to salaries had been recorded since January, but described implementation as incomplete.

Key components of the agreement remain unmet, particularly for lecturers on sabbatical and visiting appointments, who in several cases are not receiving full payment due to funding constraints in host institutions.

Critically, Earned Academic Allowances, which were supposed to be mainstreamed into monthly salaries, have not been fully paid, while implementation of other allowances remains inconsistent across federal universities. Piwuna was clear that partial progress is not acceptable. The union is insisting on full compliance.

Beyond the salary issue, the 2025 agreement contains broader commitments that Piwuna says have seen little movement. These include the establishment of a national research council, improved education funding benchmarks, and a ₦30 billion stabilisation fund to be disbursed over three years.

Progress on all of these, he said, has been slow with little indication that the government is moving decisively.

Piwuna pointed to delays in the passage of the national budget as a significant underlying factor, accusing the government of shifting attention toward political activities ahead of the 2027 elections rather than addressing funding challenges in universities.

He was careful to clarify one point, contrary to reports of a four-day ultimatum, the union was simply referencing the remaining days in March as a reasonable compliance window. ASUU, he noted, follows established procedures before embarking on any industrial action.

Those procedures, as Nigerians who have lived through previous ASUU strikes know well, can lead in one direction. The union has not announced a strike. But the language Piwuna used, "the union will respond in line with its established procedures", is the kind of language that has preceded disruptions before.

The March deadline has passed. An update from the union is expected.

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