By Palang Paul
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government 14 days to address long-standing grievances or face another round of nationwide industrial action.
The decision, which has raised fears of fresh disruption in the university calendar, was reached on Sunday during the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Abuja.
In a statement personally signed by ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, the lecturers’ body accused the government of neglect and deliberate refusal to honour commitments.
> “At the NEC meeting held on September 28, the union reviewed the state of the nation’s universities and concluded that government’s posture reflects a consistent disregard for higher education. Accordingly, ASUU has issued a 14-day ultimatum within which the Federal Government must act. Failure to do so will leave us with no choice but to begin with a two-week warning strike, to be followed by a total and indefinite shutdown,” the statement read.
The union’s demands remain largely unchanged from previous disputes, including:
Renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement.
Adequate revitalisation funding for Nigerian universities.
Settlement of outstanding salary arrears.
A clear and sustainable financing framework for the tertiary education sector.
Earlier this year, the Federal Ministry of Education inaugurated a committee headed by its Permanent Secretary, Abel Enitan, to review ASUU’s proposals. However, as at press time, no concrete decisions or timelines had been made public.
The ultimatum, which expires in mid-October, has reignited concerns among students, parents, and education stakeholders, who fear that prolonged strikes could once again destabilise the academic system.
Observers say the latest standoff will test the Tinubu administration’s willingness to prioritise education reforms and prevent another cycle of disruption.
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