The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that Nigerian public universities may once again be plunged into industrial action if the Federal and state governments fail to address unresolved labour issues urgently.

In a statement issued from its Festus Iyayi National Secretariat Complex at the University of Abuja, ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, cautioned that recent assurances by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, that there would never again be strikes by university lecturers, would remain “wishful thinking” unless backed by concrete action.

Piwuna stated, “Our members are tired of endless memoranda and promises. No memorandum or discussion can take the place of a Collective Bargaining Agreement which fully addresses staff welfare and the environment for productive work. The time to act is now.”

ASUU lamented that lecturers across Nigerian public universities are overburdened and under-supported, teaching on empty stomachs, conducting research in poorly equipped facilities, and engaging in community service without adequate resources.

The union noted that academics struggle to meet basic needs such as children’s school fees, rent, and other responsibilities, yet are unfairly blamed for producing “unemployable graduates” and failing to drive innovation.

The statement accused successive governments of failing to honour the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, which was due for renegotiation in 2012.

Piwuna recalled that a draft renegotiated agreement submitted by the Yayale Ahmed Committee in December 2024 remained unattended for eight months.

Key issues in the agreement include conditions of service, funding, university autonomy, and reforms of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

ASUU accused the government of cherry-picking parts of agreements to implement, while offering “platitudes and tokenism” instead of lasting solutions.

It also decried what it described as the politicisation of vice-chancellor appointments, citing the case of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, where it alleged that the return of the acting vice-chancellor was being pushed despite unresolved questions about her promotions.

The union further criticised the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), describing it as corruption-prone and discriminatory against academics.

ASUU accused the government of pushing lecturers to the brink of strikes and then punishing them by withholding their salaries.

ASUU urged “all genuine patriots” to prevail on the Federal and state governments to take immediate steps to prevent another breakdown in the university system.