By Palang Paul
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government of Nigeria a four-day deadline to implement a newly approved salary structure for lecturers or risk another round of industrial action.
ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, announced the ultimatum on Thursday during a public lecture at Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi State, warning that failure to comply would trigger a “strong response” from the union. The salary structure, agreed upon in December 2025, was scheduled to take effect from January 2026 but remains unimplemented.
Piwuna expressed frustration over what he described as the Federal Government’s persistent failure to honour agreements, noting that such delays have historically led to disputes and prolonged strikes in the university system.
“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the Federal Government to begin payment under the new salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response,” he said.
The warning comes amid growing tensions in the education sector. Earlier in March, ASUU directed some of its members to withdraw services over delays in the payment of June 2025 salary arrears and challenges linked to the transition to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
Beyond salary concerns, the union also raised objections to the proposed establishment of a branch of Coventry University in Nigeria following President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to London. Piwuna described the move as a threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s higher education system, warning that it could undermine local universities.
He argued that rather than encouraging foreign institutions to establish campuses in Nigeria, the government should prioritise strengthening existing universities to meet the country’s educational demands.
The latest ultimatum adds to mounting labour unrest across the public sector. Just a day earlier, federal civil servants outside ASUU also threatened nationwide industrial action over unpaid wage awards, signaling broader dissatisfaction with government labour policies.
With the deadline ticking, attention now turns to the Federal Government’s response, as students and stakeholders brace for the possibility of another disruptive strike in Nigeria’s already fragile university system.
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