The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has once again shut down Nigeria’s public universities — not out of rebellion, but in protest against what it calls a pattern of deceit and neglect by the federal government.
The latest two-week warning strike, declared on October 13 2025, is ASUU’s response to what it describes as the government’s failure to honour past agreements. For years, lecturers have demanded revitalisation funds, earned allowances, and improved working conditions — promises repeatedly made but seldom kept.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, said at a press conference that the union had reached its limit. “There has been no meaningful progress. The government’s response is a paper without substance, a promise without soul,” he said. The government, instead of addressing the grievances, ordered vice-chancellors to enforce a “No Work, No Pay” directive, a move ASUU describes as a misreading of the struggle. “The issue is not about money. It is about integrity and national survival,” Piwuna said.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed the lecturers, warning that the entire labour movement may join the protest if the crisis persists. NLC President Joe Ajaero called the government’s stance “a distortion of justice,” insisting that the breach lies with the state, not the scholars. For ASUU, each strike is a plea for reform and respect. The classrooms may be empty, but the message is loud: until Nigeria honours its educators, it cannot claim to value education.
