The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday declared a two-week warning strike, effective October 13, over the Federal Government’s failure to implement agreements reached with the union.
The lecturers, who have been at loggerheads with the government, cited poor working conditions, the non-implementation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld salaries, and sustainable funding for the revitalisation of public universities as major grievances.
Reacting to the development, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, described the ASUU strike as a “direct consequence of the government’s refusal to honour collectively bargained agreements.”
Ajaero said the government’s persistent failure to uphold agreements voluntarily reached with lecturers and other university workers has continued to undermine the nation’s public tertiary institutions.
He called on the Federal Government to “immediately set aside its threats” and use the two-week window provided by ASUU’s warning strike to address the core issues raised by the union.
“Rather than engaging in good faith to resolve the crisis, the government has resorted to the unproductive threat of ‘No Work, No Pay’. This misrepresents the situation. The breach of contract lies with the state, not the scholars,” Ajaero stated.
The NLC president further announced that the Congress would convene an emergency meeting with its affiliates in the tertiary education sector to develop a comprehensive strategy for engaging the government.
“The NLC will no longer allow university-based unions to stand alone. ASUU’s struggle is a fight for public education and a fight for Nigeria’s future,” he declared.
Ajaero warned that if, after the two-week warning strike, the government remains unresponsive, the NLC would mobilise the entire Nigerian workforce in solidarity action.
“The choice is clear: honour the agreements and salvage public education or face the resolute and unified force of the Nigerian workers,” the statement added.
The NLC expressed deep concern over the persistent crisis in Nigeria’s public education system, marked by chronic underfunding and repeated failures by the government to honour its commitments.
According to Ajaero, lecturers are willing to work, but the government has made it increasingly difficult by reneging on agreed terms.
“This struggle extends beyond an industrial dispute. It reflects a broader societal issue. While the children of the elite attend private institutions or study abroad, the children of the working class and the poor are left in a weakened public education system,” he said.
“This widening educational divide limits social mobility and entrenches inequality. An educated populace is essential for a progressive nation, but the current approach appears designed to reserve quality education for a privileged few,” he added.
