The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abuja Zone, has renewed pressure on the Federal Government, demanding the release of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries and immediate implementation of the 2009 agreement.
Funding And Infrastructure Crisis
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Zonal Coordinator Al-Amin Abdullahi outlined the union’s demands.
He said ASUU wants the government to pay promotion arrears, settle arrears of the 25/35% salary award, adopt the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) for salary payments, and remit third-party deductions to unions and cooperatives.
Moreover, he insisted that the government must implement new conditions of service for academic staff without delay.
Abdullahi then criticised the government’s consistent underfunding of universities.
He explained that successive administrations have allowed poor funding to weaken institutions, leaving overcrowded lecture halls, ill-equipped laboratories, and deteriorating hostels.
Consequently, he argued, the learning environment has become unconducive, while Nigerian universities have slipped further in global rankings.
Call For Urgent Action
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“Until Nigeria builds a university system that assures quality teaching, robust research, innovation, and genuine national development, ASUU will not step back,” he declared.
Furthermore, Abdullahi urged the government to follow UNESCO’s recommendation by allocating more of the national budget to education.
He emphasised that adequate funding and full implementation of agreements remain critical to stability in the sector.
He acknowledged that dialogue with the current administration has prevented nationwide strikes over the past two years.
However, he stressed that unresolved elements of the 2009 agreement—such as revitalisation of universities, academic autonomy, and regulatory reforms—still demand urgent attention.
Therefore, he warned, if the government fails to act, the union may consider other options.
