By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a two-week nationwide warning strike beginning Monday, October 13, 2025, over the Federal Government’s failure to address long-standing issues affecting Nigeria’s public universities.
The decision was reached after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, where university lecturers across the country unanimously resolved to withdraw their services as a signal to the government to fulfill its promises.
According to reports, ASUU accused the Federal Government of reneging on key agreements reached over the years, including the full implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances, and adequate funding for university revitalization**.
Speaking after the meeting, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said the union had shown enough patience, lamenting that the government continues to neglect the education sector despite repeated engagements and assurances.
“We have exercised patience enough. The union has been engaging constructively, but the government keeps paying lip service to our demands. This warning strike is to remind them that Nigerian universities cannot continue to operate under deplorable conditions,” Osodeke stated.
The union noted that the two-week industrial action serves as a prelude to a full-scale strike if the government fails to meet its demands within the stipulated period.
Students across campuses have reacted with mixed feelings — while some expressed frustration over the likely disruption of the academic calendar, others described the move as necessary to draw attention to the declining state of university infrastructure and welfare.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has appealed to ASUU to reconsider its decision, pledging renewed commitment to addressing all outstanding issues through dialogue.
Stakeholders have expressed concern that another prolonged shutdown could further destabilize Nigeria’s already fragile academic calendar, which is still recovering from previous industrial actions.
As Monday approaches, tension continues to rise across university campuses nationwide, with both lecturers and students waiting to see if the government will act swiftly to avert another major crisis in the education sector.
