The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike, effective Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, citing what it described as the Federal Government’s “bad faith” in addressing long-standing issues affecting public universities.
The decision followed an emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) held in Abuja.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, told newsmen after the meeting that the union had “exhausted every window of patience,” adding that academic staff could no longer continue to “keep the university system running on empty promises.”
Piwuna said the strike became inevitable due to government’s alleged failure to implement agreements and resolve critical grievances raised repeatedly by the union.
According to him, the unresolved issues include the non-payment of three-and-a-half months of salaries withheld during the 2022 strike, the absence of a new salary structure despite rising inflation, and the Federal Government’s proposed 35 per cent salary increase which the union rejected as “grossly inadequate.”
He added that the long-stalled renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement remained a major sore point, noting that provisions on university funding, staff welfare, retirement age and autonomy had not been addressed.
The union had issued a 30-day ultimatum in October and suspended a warning strike after requesting “clear timelines” for the implementation of agreed items. Piwuna said no such timelines were provided.
Reports from various campuses on Wednesday indicated full mobilisation for the industrial action. ASUU zonal coordinators in Port Harcourt, Kano, Bauchi, Owerri and Benin confirmed in separate statements that members had been directed to commence an “immediate and comprehensive” withdrawal of services.
The strike is expected to shut down academic activities, research, supervision and participation in all statutory meetings across public universities.
ASUU expressed concern that the continued neglect of the sector was worsening the brain-drain crisis, as many lecturers were leaving the country in search of better working conditions.
The union urged the government to return to the negotiation table with concrete commitments capable of restoring stability to the university system.
