The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has taken a decisive step towards a nationwide strike, placing the Federal Government on a 21-day notice as frustrations over unfulfilled agreements continue to mount.
This notice, issued after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Ibadan, signals ASUU’s escalating resolve to address the long-standing issues plaguing Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Despite multiple dialogues, the most recent being a June 26 meeting called by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, ASUU remains unconvinced that the government will honor its commitments.
According to ASUU’s national president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, critical agreements reached over the years, including the 2009 renegotiated agreements, have been left unimplemented, severely impacting the quality of education and welfare of academic staff.
The 21-day notice, though not an ultimatum, is a legal prerequisite under labor laws that ASUU is fulfilling as part of its strategy to pressure the government.
“We are giving them 21 days’ notice, after which we shall embark on strike,” an ASUU source revealed, underscoring the union’s intent to take lawful steps in its ongoing battle for better working conditions and university funding.
Among ASUU’s core grievances are the accumulation of unpaid academic allowances over the past six years and the government’s failure to deliver on the N200 billion annual revitalization fund promised under the Needs Assessment Report. Only one payment has been made since 2013, leaving Nigeria’s universities in a state of neglect and underdevelopment.
“These funds are essential to bring our universities up to global standards, attracting international students and faculty,” Osodeke stated.
Adding to the union’s concerns is the proliferation of new universities without adequate funding, a move ASUU warns could further erode the already strained resources of the nation’s higher education system.
With the countdown now ticking on ASUU’s 21-day notice, the Federal Government faces increasing pressure to act or risk plunging Nigeria’s universities into another prolonged shutdown.
