October 12, (THEWILL) — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a two-week warning strike over what it described as the Federal Government’s insincerity in addressing long-standing issues affecting public universities.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, announced the decision on Sunday during a press conference at the union’s national secretariat, University of Abuja. He said the strike was intended as a “window” for the government to conclude ongoing negotiations with the union.
Piwuna directed all ASUU members nationwide to withdraw their services beginning midnight on Monday, October 13, 2025, describing the action as “total and comprehensive.”
“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on ground to halt the implementation of ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on September 28, 2025,” he said.
The union’s National Executive Council (NEC) had met at the University of Abuja on September 28, where it expressed frustration over what it called government’s neglect of the university system and its refusal to honour previous agreements.
Among ASUU’s key demands are the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government, adequate revitalisation funds for universities, payment of outstanding salary arrears, and the creation of a sustainable funding model for tertiary institutions.
The Federal Government had earlier constituted a committee led by Abel Enitan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, to review ASUU’s proposals, but no official outcome has been made public.
Stakeholders fear the industrial action could once again plunge students and parents into uncertainty, barely a year after public universities recovered from a prolonged shutdown.
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