The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the National Assembly, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and students to urge the Federal Government to address its long-standing demands and avert a looming nationwide strike. At a press conference on August 26, 2025, at the Federal University Oye Ekiti, ASUU Akure Zone Coordinator Professor Adeola Egbedokun expressed frustration over the Bola Tinubu administration’s failure to implement the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, pay outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, address stagnated promotions, and stop victimization of lecturers, warning that the union’s patience is at its breaking point.
Egbedokun noted that nationwide rallies held on August 25 were a precursor to further action if the government’s planned August 28 meeting yields no results, stating, “The clock is ticking, and time is no longer on the government’s side.”
ASUU’s demands also include sustainable university funding, revitalization of the education system, and halting the Tertiary Institution Staff Salary Fund loan scheme, which it calls a “debt trap” designed to undermine lecturers’ welfare.
The union criticized the government’s delay tactics, noting that the Yayale Ahmed Committee’s draft agreement, submitted in December 2024, remains unimplemented. Protests across campuses, including the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, and the University of Calabar, saw lecturers with placards demanding action, with the Calabar chapter warning of the “mother of all strikes” if demands are unmet. The Federal Ministry of Education, through Director Folasade Boriowo, expressed optimism about avoiding a full-blown strike, citing ongoing talks, but ASUU remains skeptical.
The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, in a communiqué from their August 2025 meeting in Orlu, Imo State, echoed ASUU’s call for a swift resolution, urging both parties to prioritize dialogue to prevent academic disruptions. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) warned of mass action, including blocking critical infrastructure, if the strike proceeds, highlighting the severe impact on students. ASUU’s Ibadan Zone Coordinator, Professor Biodun Olaniran, decried the underfunding that leaves Nigerian universities unranked among the world’s top 1,000, emphasizing the need for urgent action to restore trust and prevent a crisis.
