FG has reaffirmed “No Work, No Pay” policy amid ASUU nationwide two-week warning strike.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) commences its two-week warning strike, the Federal Government has reiterated that the “No Work, No Pay” policy remains in full effect across all public universities.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, the government stressed that it would be guided by existing labour laws if academic activities were disrupted nationwide.
“The Federal Government continues to demonstrate goodwill and flexibility in dealing with the unions but will not abdicate its responsibility to ensure fairness and accountability in the use of public resources,”
— the statement read.
The ministry reassured students, parents, and the general public that the government remains committed to maintaining industrial harmony in the tertiary education system. It further appealed to university lecturers and other academic unions to embrace dialogue and partnership over confrontation, in the overall interest of the nation’s higher education sector.
The warning comes just hours after ASUU announced a total and comprehensive strike, following what the union described as the government’s failure to respond meaningfully to its demands within a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28, 2025.
During a press conference at the University of Abuja on Sunday, ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, confirmed that all branches of the union had been directed to withdraw services effective midnight, October 13, 2025, in line with resolutions from its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
The union’s action follows the government’s alleged neglect of key issues, including the unimplemented 2009 ASUU-FG agreement, poor funding of universities, and unpaid academic allowances.
Last week, Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, had appealed to ASUU to shelve the strike, assuring that President Bola Tinubu had directed all efforts toward preventing another disruption in the university calendar. He disclosed that the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Expanded Negotiation Committee had been reconstituted to fast-track talks with both academic and non-academic unions in tertiary institutions.
However, ASUU insists that the government’s response came too late and lacked concrete commitments, prompting the decision to proceed with the strike.
With both sides holding firm positions, the next two weeks will determine whether the government and ASUU can reach a compromise or if Nigeria’s public universities will once again face prolonged academic disruption.