FULL LIST: 4 times ASUU and Tinubu's govt have clashed

If you’ve been wondering why uni lectures keep getting disrupted or why your classes randomly stop, well, ASUU is at it again.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a nationwide withdrawal of services due to the non-payment of June 2025 salaries on time. Yup, they’re enforcing a “No Pay, No Work” policy.

But here’s the thing, this isn’t the first time under President Tinubu that ASUU has pulled this kind of move.

From delayed salaries to unpaid allowances, the back-and-forth between ASUU and the Federal Government has been nonstop.

So let’s break it down: here are all the times ASUU has either gone on strike or seriously threatened one since Tinubu took office in May 2023.

Barely two months into President Tinubu’s tenure, ASUU issued a strong warning in July 2023, threatening a nationwide strike over the government’s failure to implement the agreements reached in 2022.

These included the release of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, withheld salaries, and the lack of progress on removing universities from IPPIS.

Although the strike didn’t materialise, it set the tone for continued labour unrest under Tinubu.

ASUU once again threatened industrial action in October 2023 over the lingering issue of unpaid salary arrears from the 2022 prolonged strike.

The union demanded that President Tinubu honour the commitment to pay the “No Work, No Pay” deductions, which his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, imposed.

Though negotiations followed and calm was temporarily restored, there was no lasting resolution to the salary and welfare complaints.

In early 2024, ASUU members at several universities downed tools after severe disruptions in salary payments emerged following the migration from IPPIS to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

The union decried the new platform's inefficiencies and demanded urgent correction.

Although not a full nationwide strike, the action affected academic activities in select institutions and underlined the growing frustration over inconsistent salary payments.

The most recent action came in July 2025, when ASUU branches began suspending services nationwide due to the non-payment of June 2025 salaries.

Acting on a National Executive Council (NEC) resolution, branches like those at the University of Jos and the University of Abuja initiated immediate strikes.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, affirmed the enforcement of the “No Pay, No Work” policy, citing that lecturers can no longer endure delayed payments.

“We have spoken to the relevant authorities... and they have not taken any action. We want to work, but we cannot because they have not allowed us to work,” said Piwuna.

He further accused the Office of the Accountant General of deliberately delaying funds despite the payment platform being operational.

Piwuna also warned that the government’s failure to release the outstanding ₦10 billion Earned Academic Allowance could spark another round of strikes.