ASUU raises fresh strike threat in Lagos, Gombe, Plateau

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Thursday warned of a fresh wave of industrial unrest in state-owned universities, accusing several governors of failing to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement on salaries and welfare.

The union specifically alerted Lagos, Gombe and Plateau states to the growing discontent among lecturers, saying continued delays could trigger avoidable strikes and disrupt academic activities at institutions including Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Education, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Gombe State University and Plateau State University.

For the past few days, members of ASUU across various zones have agitated over the failure of state governments to ensure the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU agreement in state-owned universities.

Addressing separate press conferences in Ikorodu and Gombe, ASUU leaders said six months after the agreement took effect on January 1, 2026, many state governments had yet to implement its provisions, despite participating in the negotiations that culminated in the deal signed on December 23, 2025.

The Federal Government and ASUU formally signed an agreement on December 23, 2025, replacing the protracted 2009 pact.

The renegotiated deal, which took effect on January 1, 2026, includes a 40 per cent salary increase for lecturers and introduces the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance to cover publication and research costs.

The union warned that unless urgent action is taken, more state universities could join institutions already affected by industrial disputes arising from the non-implementation of the agreement.

The union warned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently implement the 2025 agreement or risk a fresh industrial crisis that could shut LASU, LASUED and LASUSTECH.

The union specifically called on Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene and avert what it described as “brewing unrest” in the three universities.

Addressing a press conference at LASUSTECH, Ikorodu, on Thursday, the ASUU Lagos Zonal Coordinator, Adesola Nassir, said six months of discussions with representatives of the state government had produced “no concrete results.”

He added, “The non-implementation of the agreement being experienced by our members has left academic staff in the Lagos State-owned universities feeling neglected, undervalued, and increasingly uncertain about the government’s commitment to their welfare.”

Nassir recalled that ASUU spent “eight torturous years” renegotiating the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government before the 2025 agreement was eventually signed.

“To our utter disappointment, the Lagos State Government appears to be playing the ostrich on this matter,” Nassir said.

He argued that Nigeria operates “one university system,” describing the reluctance of state governments to implement the new ASUU/FG agreement as “totally unacceptable.”

Nassir warned that the prolonged uncertainty was already affecting morale in LASU, LASUSTECH and LASUED.

“Where staff begin to feel despondent, as is now the case at LASU, LASUSTECH and LASUED, management of the system becomes problematic and this triggers institutional decline in all its ramifications, inclusive of staff apathy, ethical drift and sharp practices, reduced graduate quality and eventually disruption in the academic calendar,” he said.

He added that Lagos had become “synonymous with delayed attention to legitimate staff welfare” and criticised what he called the “lackadaisical manner” in which local crises in LASU and LASUED were being handled.

“ASUU remains committed to constructive engagement. But we would not allow any state to trivialise our committed struggle to improve the lot of our universities in producing high-quality graduates that would power societal development at state and national levels,” Nassir said.

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The union noted that it had written to all state governments that own universities, including Lagos, through their vice-chancellors, and that the NUC had also communicated with universities on the matter.

Nassir said several state universities across the country had already shut down over the non-implementation of the agreement and that ASUU was “giving full backing to this movement.

“The Lagos State Government is also yet to indicate when it plans to implement the agreement.

“We feel strongly that Lagos State should not be on this negative pedestal as it has the resources not just to implement the agreement, but to enhance it given the peculiarities of the state.”

He announced that the Lagos Zone would support whatever decision the branches in LASU, LASUSTECH and LASUED take to press for implementation.

“We at the Lagos Zone of ASUU will give our full support to LASU, LASUED and LASUSTECH in whatever decision they choose to take to get the agreement implemented by the Lagos State Government.

“We are thereby alerting the Lagos State Government of brewing unrest in the state.

“Government, not ASUU, should be held responsible if all universities belonging to Lagos State are thrown into avoidable crises or totally shut down on account of the poor response of the government to the concerns of our members. A stitch in time saves nine,” he said.

The union urged Sanwo-Olu, as Visitor to the three universities, to “crown his tenure with a crisis-free Lagos State” by resolving the matter urgently.

ASUU also demanded the immediate resolution of other disputes, including what it described as the weaponisation of “a flimsy administrative matter” to terminate the appointment of its chairperson at LASUED, outstanding entitlements owed members in the institution and the dismissal of ASUU officers at LASU, which it said had lingered for almost 10 years.

“Finally, we call on the governor, his lieutenants and all stakeholders in Lagos State to mediate in these matters and resolve them in earnest,” Nassir said.

The Bauchi Zone of ASUU, on Thursday, accused the Gombe and Plateau State governments of failing to implement the agreement, warning that the development could trigger industrial unrest in the affected universities.

The union said despite the agreement reached, both Gombe State University and Plateau State University had yet to comply with its provisions.

Speaking at a press conference held at Gombe State University, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Timothy-Aku Namo, said the refusal of the two state governments to implement the agreement had worsened the living conditions of academics and heightened frustration among lecturers.

Namo noted that although the Federal Government later released funds for the salary component of the agreement and constituted an implementation monitoring committee, many state governments had yet to honour their commitments.

The ASUU leader disclosed that following a forensic audit conducted by the union’s National Executive Council on June 21, 2026, only Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State and Ekiti State University were found to have implemented the agreement among state-owned universities reviewed.

He lamented what he described as the worsening welfare of academics, saying Gombe State University and Plateau State University had become flashpoints of the implementation crisis.

Namo appealed to the visitors to the two universities to intervene before the situation degenerated into another round of industrial action.