By Chigozie Chukwuleta
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a warning that time is running out for the government to resolve the ongoing dispute over improved salaries and working conditions for university lecturers.
The warning was handed down to the federal government during a Press Conference held.by the Owerri Zone of the Union at the ASUU Secretariat of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, on Thursday 13th November 2025
Recall that ASUU had suspended a two-week warning strike on October 22, 2025, to allow the government to address their grievances. However, the proposed salary increment offered by the government has been rejected as an insult to Nigerian university academic staff.
The Owerri Zone comprises Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State University (IMSU) Owerri, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka
Addressing the press conference, the Zonal Coordinator Prof Dennis Aribodor explained that the conference became necessary by the need to inform the general public of the state of things.
“This press conference was necessitated by the need to alert all the critical stakeholders in the Nigeria University System and, in deed, the general public that time is running out to prevent a full blown industrial action in our public universities”,
“Please recall that ASUU out of respect for students and their parents, the media, Nigeria Labour Congress and other well meaning Nigerians reviewed the then ongoing two (2) week warning strike, declared on 13th October, 2025, and resolved to suspend the strike action on 22nd October, 2025, 5 days before the expiration of the two weeks”, Prof Aribodor explained.
The former ASUU Chairman, Nnamdi Azikiwe University expressed deep concerns over the government’s failure to prioritize education and address the long-standing demands of academic staff.
According to him, the government has failed to meet the union’s demands despite a one-month window given to resolve the issues.
The union cited the government’s inability to increase the take-home pay of academics as a major point of contention, which has led to a brain drain in the system.
The Union also accused government functionaries of undermining the negotiation process by misrepresenting offers and implementation of agreements for political gain.
“To us in ASUU Owerri Zone, government functionaries are undermining the negotiation process by the subtle misrepresentation of offers and implementation of agreements just to score cheap political points”,
“The part payment of promotion arrears dating as far back to 2017, the release of third party deductions, which are part of members salaries for years are mere confidence measures, and must not be construed as the substantial issues of the negotiation process”,
“The framing of government’s implementation is not the true reflection of the reality and this strategy portends great danger to the renegotiation as it casts doubt to the sincerity of government. Government’s objective must not be to win the narrative but to solve the real problems. That’s the way forward”,
“ASUU Owerri Zone, regrettably, has observed with consternation, government’s continuous failure to prioritise education as it perceives education as commercial good that must be self sustaining instead of a social good that can guarantee peace, progress and national development”,
“The Zone further reviewed the progress made in the renegotiation process since the suspension of the warning strike over two weeks ago and rejected the proposed salary increment, which we consider as an insult to Nigerian university academic staff”,
“The proposal is not capable of bringing out the best among university lecturers and cannot reverse the perennial brain drain syndrome, which has devastated our universities for decades. The salary and conditions of service components of the renegotiation process remain a sore point that needs a radical approach to stem the tide in the system”,
“Government is hereby advised to utilize the remaining days to the expiration of the one month window given to achieve a holistic resolution of the issues, particularly to uplift the take home pay of academics in Nigeria. The surest way to protect the future of our country is to invest adequately in education. Education is a public good”.
The Union has specified its minimum demands, including 100% payment of all outstanding arrears, 25-35% wage award, three and a half months of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions. The union warned that failure to meet these demands would lead to the resumption of the suspended strike, potentially disrupting academic activities in public universities.
“ASUU Owerri Zone also expects 100% payment of all outstanding arrears including 25-35% wage award, three and half months withheld salaries, promotion arrears and third party deductions. These are our minimum demands to avoid the resumption of the suspended strike so as to ensure industrial harmony in our universities”,
The union’s position was reinforced by evidence of increased revenue allocation to both federal and state governments, which suggests that the government has the capacity to improve the salaries and working conditions of lecturers.
“Education as the bedrock of any society deserves special attention in Nigeria given the deficit in our education infrastructure. Contrary to the claim of paucity of funds and economic downturn, evidence shows that there have been quantum leaps in the revenue profile of both the Federal and State Governments”,
” For example, in 2022, according to data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, the states received a total of 3.92 Trillion Naira, while the figure for 2024 was 5.81 Trillion Naira. This is an increase of over 62%. Similarly, the Federal Government received 3.42 Trillion in 2022 and 4.65 Trillion in 2024, representing an increase of over 70%”,
“It is the political will or lack of it, and not economic factors that have been undermining the resolution of this renegotiation process, as the revenue profile above clearly supports this claim. Nigerian Government should not be comfortable with lecturers being on the same salary for 16 years with all the devaluations and inflation”, the Coordinator said.
The Union called on stakeholders, to prevail on the government to give lecturers a living wage within the remaining days of the one-month window period.
“ASUU Owerri Zone is therefore calling on all stakeholders including traditional rulers, religious leaders, students, the NLC, media and the civil society to urge government to do the right things and give lecturers a living wage within the remaining days of the one month window period.
