The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abuja Zone, has accused the Federal Government of failing to resolve major challenges facing public universities, warning that another industrial action may soon become unavoidable.
In a statement issued by the zone, which comprises the University of Abuja, the Federal University of Technology Minna, the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State University Keffi, and Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai — the union said the government had not shown the urgency or sincerity required to tackle long-standing problems in the university system.
The zone recalled that although it considered the government’s proposals inadequate, ASUU suspended its two-week warning strike on 22 October 2025 out of consideration for students and well-meaning Nigerians, giving the government one month to conclude negotiations. Nearly four weeks later, the union said there had been no meaningful progress.
ASUU listed several unresolved issues, including the renegotiation and full implementation of the 2009 ASUU–FGN Agreement on staff welfare, university funding, revitalization, and academic autonomy. The union also criticized the continued withholding of three and a half months’ salaries despite lecturers carrying out their teaching and research duties.
Other outstanding concerns include unpaid arrears such as the one-year 25%/35% wage award and withheld third-party deductions covering cooperative contributions and union dues. The zone further accused the Ministry of Education of making misleading public claims, insisting that only a fraction of the funds owed had been released.
The Abuja Zone argued that the persistent crisis in public universities is driven not by insufficient resources but by a lack of political will. It noted that despite significant growth in government revenue between 2022 and 2024, allocations to the education sector remained inadequate. According to the union, prolonged underfunding has led to extended academic calendars, rising financial pressure on students, declining teaching and research quality, and worsening morale among academic staff.
The zone called on parents, students, civil society groups, the National Assembly, professional bodies, and traditional institutions to demand greater transparency and accountability in the management of education resources. While reaffirming its readiness for genuine dialogue, ASUU warned that it would be compelled to take lawful action if government continued to “trivialize” the issues confronting public universities.
“The future of our public universities and our students must not be sacrificed on the altar of insincerity and political grandstanding,” the statement said.
