The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has officially directed all its branches across Nigeria to commence a nationwide strike action in response to the delayed payment of June 2025 salaries to its members.
This directive comes as part of the union’s enforcement of its “No Pay, No Work” resolution, which mandates that lecturers and academic staff withdraw their services if salaries are not paid within three days after the start of a new month.
Branches of ASUU at the University of Jos and the University of Abuja have already initiated strike actions, with members abstaining from lectures, academic activities, and statutory meetings. The University of Jos branch chairman, Jurbe Molwus, confirmed that the strike followed the National Executive Council (NEC) resolution and that the branch’s strike monitoring team has been activated to ensure full compliance.
Meanwhile, the University of Abuja branch has also withdrawn services, though their chairman has yet to officially comment.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, explained that the strike is a response to persistent delays in salary payments since the migration of university workers from the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
He described the delays as deliberate, pointing to inefficiencies and possible obstruction by officials at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, despite the payment platform itself functioning properly.
Prof. Piwuna lamented the government’s lackadaisical attitude toward the issue, emphasizing that the salaries paid are already paltry and the delays have caused significant hardship for academic staff.
He noted that the union has held multiple meetings with relevant government authorities, including the Minister of Education and the Accountant General, but no satisfactory resolution has been reached.
In addition to salary delays, ASUU raised concerns over the outstanding balance of ₦10 billion in Earned Academic Allowance (EAA). The Federal Government had committed to paying ₦50 billion in EAA but has only released ₦40 billion to date.
The union warned that failure to settle the outstanding amount promptly could trigger further industrial action.
The union’s National Executive Council resolved that any month in which salaries are delayed beyond three days, members should withdraw their services until full payment is made.
Prof. Piwuna stressed that this policy is the only effective way to compel the government to address the recurring salary payment issues.
He urged all ASUU branches nationwide that have not received their June salaries to join the strike, stating, “We are tired of talking about this.” He also dismissed suggestions that the payment platform was faulty, insisting the problem lies with government officials deliberately delaying fund releases.
The strike threatens to disrupt academic activities across Nigeria’s federal universities, affecting students, staff, and the broader educational system.
The union has called on the government to immediately release all outstanding salaries and allowances to avert a prolonged disruption.
As the strike continues, stakeholders await official responses from the Federal Government and efforts to resolve the impasse.
Meanwhile, ASUU remains resolute in its demand for timely salary payments and full settlement of outstanding allowances to safeguard the welfare of academic staff nationwide.
