By Isaac Mission
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that it could revive its suspended nationwide strike if the Federal Government and state governments fail to resolve outstanding issues affecting university lecturers.
The union said it may order members to resume industrial action without issuing another notice, citing the incomplete implementation of the December 2025 agreement, unpaid salary arrears and the failure to remit various deductions made from lecturers’ earnings.
ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, disclosed the union’s position in a statement issued on Friday following an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council at the University of Abuja.
According to ASUU, the agreement reached in December 2025 followed more than eight years of negotiations and agitation over the condition of service of Nigerian academics. However, the union said several provisions of the agreement remained outstanding at both federal and state levels.
The union urged the relevant authorities to take immediate steps to resolve the issues, warning that continued delays could undermine industrial peace across the country’s public universities.
ASUU commended the governments of Abia, Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno for beginning the implementation of the agreement.
It also said Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states had indicated their intention to commence implementation in September or October.
The union called on other state governments to follow the same path, warning that failure to address the outstanding matters could lead to a major industrial dispute in their universities.
Union demands remaining salary arrears
ASUU also renewed its demand for payment of the balance of lecturers’ withheld salaries.
The union acknowledged that the administration of President Bola Tinubu had released four months out of the 7.5 months of salaries withheld under the previous administration.
However, it insisted that the remaining 3.5 months should be paid without further delay.
ASUU argued that resolving the outstanding balance was necessary to demonstrate the government’s commitment to the welfare of university lecturers.
The union further raised concerns over deductions from members’ salaries, alleging that pension contributions, cooperative payments and union check-off dues had not been remitted for several months.
It said the combination of unpaid deductions, outstanding salary arrears and the incomplete implementation of the 2025 agreement was creating tension within the university system.
ASUU maintained that the situation could threaten industrial harmony in public universities if urgent action was not taken.
The union therefore called on both federal and state authorities to address all outstanding issues promptly.
It warned that its National Executive Council had resolved to reactivate the suspended strike if the matters were not resolved quickly, stressing that the union should not be held responsible for any disruption that may follow.