ASUU warns of fresh crisis in varsities over unimplemented agreements

The Academic Staff Union of Universities Sokoto Zone has warned that Nigeria’s public universities may be heading for another industrial crisis following what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement agreements reached with the union.

The union issued the warning on Thursday during a press conference in Sokoto, where it accused both federal and state governments of neglecting critical welfare and funding issues affecting lecturers and public universities.

Addressing journalists, the Zonal Coordinator of the union, Abubakar Sabo, said the continued delay in implementing the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement was creating tension across campuses and threatening industrial harmony.

He said despite the public signing and presentation of the agreement in January 2026, government had yet to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee, a development he said had resulted in delays, inconsistencies and selective implementation of the agreement by university authorities.

“The continued delay in addressing these issues is capable of provoking avoidable industrial unrest in the university system,” Sabo said.

According to him, several universities across the country were yet to implement the agreed 40 per cent salary increment tied to Consolidated Academic Tool Allowances (CATA), Earned Academic Allowances and Professorial Allowances.

“We call on both Federal and State Governments to faithfully implement every component of the Agreement in the interest of industrial harmony and stability in Nigerian universities,” he added.

ASUU also listed unresolved welfare issues confronting lecturers to include arrears of the 25–35 per cent salary award, promotion arrears, salary shortfalls arising from the IPPIS platform, unremitted deductions, withheld salaries from the 2022 strike action and delayed pension payments for retired academics.

The Sokoto Zone further revealed that many state-owned universities in the region were battling additional challenges such as unpaid Earned Academic Allowances, non-remittance of cooperative deductions and union dues, non-payment of annual increments since 2020 and the absence of governing councils in some institutions.

Beyond welfare matters, the union criticised some recent education policies of the Federal Government, particularly the proposed establishment of a Nigerian campus of Coventry University under the Transnational Education framework.

ASUU argued that the move could weaken local universities and deepen educational dependency on foreign institutions.

“The proposed establishment of a campus of Coventry University in Nigeria undermines local universities and promotes educational dependency,” the union stated.

The union also opposed plans to scrap certain humanities and social science courses, insisting that all academic disciplines remain relevant to national development.

It blamed rising unemployment in the country on poor economic policies, corruption and misplaced priorities rather than the courses studied in universities.

On insecurity, the union lamented the worsening cases of banditry, kidnapping and communal violence across Northern Nigeria, noting that many students and lecturers now operate under fear and uncertainty.

“Banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and communal conflicts continue to threaten lives, livelihoods and educational activities, particularly in Northern Nigeria,” Sabo said.

ASUU called on governments at all levels to urgently address insecurity, poverty and unemployment in order to create an enabling environment for learning and national development.

The union appealed to parents, students, civil society organisations and patriotic Nigerians to support the struggle for a functional and adequately funded public university system.

It, however, maintained that while it remained committed to dialogue and constructive engagement, it would not remain silent while agreements were ignored and the nation’s university system deteriorated further.