ASUU Commences Nationwide Warning Strike Today
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that it will commence a two-week warning strike across all its branches nationwide, effective Monday, October 13, 2025. The union insists that the action has become necessary in light of what it perceives as the Federal Government’s persistent insincerity in addressing long-standing issues bedeviling the nation’s public universities.
Announcing the decision at a press briefing held on Sunday at the union’s national secretariat, University of Abuja, ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, explained that the strike is intended to serve as a “window” for the government to conclude ongoing negotiations with the union. He stressed that the action would be “total and comprehensive,” with members directed to withdraw their services from midnight on the commencement date.
Piwuna further noted that the union had already issued a 14-day ultimatum on September 28, 2025, following the resolution of its National Executive Council (NEC). According to him, the government’s failure to take concrete steps within that notice period left the union with no alternative but to proceed with the warning strike.
The NEC, which convened at the University of Abuja, had expressed deep frustration over what it described as the Federal Government’s neglect of the university system and its repeated failure to honour agreements previously reached with the union. The council emphasized that the credibility of government commitments is at stake, given the recurring cycle of unfulfilled promises.
Among ASUU’s principal demands are the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government, the provision of adequate revitalisation funds for public universities, the settlement of outstanding salary arrears, and the establishment of a sustainable funding framework for tertiary education. The union maintains that these issues are central to safeguarding the future of Nigeria’s higher education system.
In response, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, has warned that it will not hesitate to invoke the “no work, no pay” principle, in line with extant labour laws, should academic activities be disrupted. The Minister emphasized that while government remains committed to dialogue, it also has a duty to ensure accountability and prudent use of public resources.
The government has therefore urged ASUU to reconsider its decision and return to the negotiation table, describing dialogue as the most effective and sustainable means of resolving industrial disputes. It reiterated its willingness to engage with the union at any level to avert further disruption in the education sector.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government had earlier constituted a committee chaired by Abel Enitan, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, to review ASUU’s proposals. However, no official outcome has been made public. Stakeholders now fear that the looming strike could once again throw students and parents into uncertainty, barely a year after public universities emerged from a prolonged shutdown.
