Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have signaled their readiness to shut down their institutions following the federal government’s failure to address their longstanding demands.
University lecturers, bearing placards during nationwide protests, voiced their deep dissatisfaction over the government’s failure to implement their renegotiated agreement, settle withheld salaries, and improve funding for universities. They also mounted total rejection of the recently introduced Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund loan scheme, arguing that what academics and researchers need are legitimate earnings and grants — not loans.
Protests erupted across multiple states including Maiduguri, Kano, Jos, Lagos, Uyo, and Enugu, among others.
At the University of Maiduguri, ASUU members led by Chairman Dr. Abubakar Mshelia condemned the N150,000 monthly retirement benefit paid to professors and senior lecturers under the contributory pension scheme as a “national disgrace.” He stated: “Professors who have spent over 40 years teaching generations are retiring on a meagre N150,000 under the contributory pension scheme, while inflation is above 21 per cent. This is a national disgrace.”
He also lamented the poor welfare of university staff, noting that many academics are still owed salary arrears, wage rewards of 25–35 per cent, and promotion arrears that have remained unpaid for more than four years. He accused the government of neglecting its responsibilities, and warned that these unresolved issues are hurting both lecturers and the education system.
The ASUU chapter in Maiduguri also condemned the government’s staff loan scheme, non-remittance of third-party deductions, the refusal to sign the renegotiated 2009 agreement, and the renaming of the University of Maiduguri after the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Across the country, ASUU chapters echoed similar frustrations. They demanded that the government sign and implement the renegotiated agreement concluded in December 2024, which remains unacted upon despite promises. They criticized that the union’s requests have been ignored, and called for immediate attention to funding, salary arrears, promotion delays, and overall welfare.
In Calabar, ASUU representatives denounced the loan scheme as a “poisoned chalice and unacceptable distraction.” They argued that the scheme is designed to impoverish members rather than honor rightful entitlements.
At Bayero University, Kano, ASUU leaders described their protest as a “first step” to compel the government to respond to protracted and unresolved demands, emphasizing that diplomatic efforts have been exhausted.
Lecturers at the University of Jos issued a warning: unless the government acts before the end of August, more drastic measures will follow.
Chapters at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and the University of Lagos, among others, raised similar alarms, citing poor welfare conditions, unpaid arrears, and decades‐old agreements that remain unfulfilled.
The message from ASUU was clear: after years of patience and negotiations, “time is running out,” and continued government inaction will only lead to a breakdown of industrial harmony in the country’s universities.
