One month after the Federal Government declared that strikes in Nigerian universities were permanently over, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised a fresh alarm over unpaid allowances, withheld salaries, and unremitted deductions.
Background of the Declaration
In April 2026, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa announced at a student venture capital awards ceremony in Lagos that the era of strikes in Nigerian tertiary institutions had ended permanently. He stated that the government had resolved its longstanding disputes with ASUU through the 2025 FG/ASUU agreement, ensuring universities and polytechnics would remain open for all academic sessions.
ASUU's Fresh Concerns
However, just one month later, ASUU is warning that the peace is fragile. The Lagos Zone of ASUU held a press conference at the University of Lagos on Wednesday, accusing both the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government of failing to implement key components of the agreement.
Zonal Coordinator Adesola Nassir read a communique outlining specific grievances. The union stated that Consolidated Academic Tool Allowances, Earned Academic Allowances, and Professorial Allowances have not been mainstreamed into the salary structure as agreed. Arrears of the 25 to 35 percent salary award remain unpaid, and promotion arrears are outstanding.
Furthermore, third-party deductions, including cooperative society contributions and pension remittances, have been collected from lecturers but not remitted to the appropriate bodies. Salary shortfalls from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) implementation remain unresolved, and the three-and-a-half months' salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial action have still not been returned.
ASUU declared, "To make deductions from salaries and fail to remit the same is fraudulent and criminal, to say the least." The Lagos Zone covers seven institutions, including the University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Olabisi Onabanjo University, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. The union noted that inconsistent implementation across these institutions has deepened tension and accelerated brain drain, with experienced academics leaving for better conditions abroad.
Warning of Possible Disruption
While ASUU stopped short of issuing a strike notice, it left little ambiguity about the direction. "Unless immediate steps are taken, the fragile peace in the universities can no longer be guaranteed," the union warned. This could mean renewed academic disruption for students if tensions escalate.
The minister's declaration in April was intended to end decades of recurring strikes that have cost Nigerian students hundreds of academic days. ASUU's warning suggests that the line may have been drawn prematurely.
