The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday accused the federal government of deliberately foot-dragging in handling long-standing issues affecting public universities, warning that another round of industrial action may be inevitable if urgent steps are not taken.
Addressing a press conference at the University of Ibadan ASUU Secretariat in Ibadan, the Zonal Coordinator, Professor Biodun Olaniran, said the relative peace in Nigerian universities in recent months was largely due to the union’s patience and expectation that the government would honour its promises.
He, however, noted that no meaningful progress had been recorded.
He said, “We are compelled to address the press—and by extension, the nation—regarding the growing signs of industrial unrest within the Nigerian university system.
“The relative calm experienced in our universities over the past few months is largely due to our union’s hope that the government would, this time, honour its promises and take decisive steps to resolve the long-standing issues that have plagued the system.
“The Ibadan Zone of ASUU, in particular, is drawing the attention of Nigerians once again to the urgent need to prevent another avoidable round of industrial crisis in public universities.
“This looming threat is fueled by the Federal Government’s piecemeal and frustrating handling of unresolved matters affecting the Nigerian Public Universities. While these issues have been thoroughly documented in our numerous press statements over the years, for the purpose of this engagement, we will revisit some of them here with necessary updates.”
The union highlighted several outstanding demands, including the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding and revitalisation of universities, restoration of university autonomy, payment of withheld salaries, arrears of promotions, and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).
Olaniran lamented that despite a draft agreement reached in 2021 with the government’s own renegotiation committee, authorities have refused to sign and implement the document. He added that the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed report, submitted in February 2025, which addresses all contentious issues, is also being ignored.
On funding, ASUU faulted the FG for allocating just 7 percent of the 2025 national budget to education, far below the UNESCO-recommended 15–26 percent, saying, “Our universities are plagued by underfunding, decaying infrastructure, poorly equipped laboratories, and deplorable hostels. None of our public universities rank among the top 1,000 globally.”
The Ibadan Zone also condemned what it described as the victimisation of ASUU members at Lagos State University (LASU), Kogi State University (KSU), and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), where union leaders face trumped-up charges and illegal withholding of salaries.
On university autonomy, the union decried the unlawful dissolution of governing councils, imposition of political appointees, and the erosion of Senate powers through the National Universities Commission’s centralised curriculum.
ASUU further demanded the release of the three-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 strike, as well as arrears from the 25–35 percent wage award announced by the government but yet to be implemented.
The union also accused the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) of fraud, citing unremitted third-party deductions and the non-payment of promotion arrears for over four years in many universities.
Olaniran, however, urged Nigerians to prevail on the government to act decisively, stressing that lecturers can no longer accept endless delays.
“We are peace-loving, but we will not continue to watch our members’ welfare sacrificed to the government’s delay tactics. Another crisis in the university system can only be prevented if the Federal Government honours its commitments,” he said.
The Nation reports that the Ibadan Zone of ASUU comprises the University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osun State University, Kwara State University, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo.
