The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a nationwide strike, directing its members to withdraw from academic activities over delays in the payment of their June 2025 salaries.
The strike action was confirmed on Monday in Abuja by ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna. He explained that the decision aligns with an earlier resolution by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC), which mandates members to down tools if salaries are not paid within three days of the due date.
According to Prof. Piwuna, lecturers at the University of Abuja and the University of Jos have already complied with the directive, and other institutions with outstanding salaries are expected to join.
“This is not a new tactic,” Piwuna stated. “It is the enforcement of an existing NEC resolution: ‘No Pay, No Work.’ Our members are suffering financially, and we can no longer continue under these conditions.”
He blamed the worsening delays on the government’s decision to migrate lecturers from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), which he said has compounded their hardship.
ASUU disclosed that repeated efforts to engage relevant government authorities—including the Minister of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation—have yielded no meaningful results.
“We have complained severally about this issue. The delays are deliberate. The payment platform is not the problem—the funds are simply not being released on time by the Office of the Accountant General,” Piwuna said.
He added that the strike is a response to what the union views as an intentional effort by some government officials to frustrate university staff. “We are tired of repeating ourselves. If there is no salary, there will be no work. It’s that simple.”
The ASUU President also warned of potential unrest over the lingering issue of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). He revealed that while the Federal Government promised N50 billion to cover outstanding EAA payments, only N40 billion has been disbursed, leaving a balance of N10 billion unpaid.
“We hope this N10 billion balance is settled quickly so that it doesn’t trigger another crisis,” he cautioned.
ASUU reiterated that it remains committed to academic excellence but insisted that its members must be treated with dignity and fairness. Until then, the strike continues.
