The
Academic Staff Union of Universities on Thursday warned of a fresh wave of
industrial unrest in state-owned universities, accusing several governors of
failing to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement on salaries and
welfare.
The
union specifically alerted Lagos, Gombe and Plateau states to the growing
discontent among lecturers, saying continued delays could trigger avoidable
strikes and disrupt academic activities at institutions including Lagos State
University, Lagos State University of Education, Lagos State University of
Science and Technology, Gombe State University and Plateau State University.
For
the past few days, members of ASUU across various zones have agitated over the
failure of state governments to ensure the implementation of the 2025 Federal
Government/ASUU agreement in state-owned universities.
Addressing
separate press conferences in Ikorodu and Gombe, ASUU leaders said six months
after the agreement took effect on January 1, 2026, many state governments had
yet to implement its provisions, despite participating in the negotiations that
culminated in the deal signed on December 23, 2025.
The
Federal Government and ASUU formally signed an agreement on December 23, 2025,
replacing the protracted 2009 pact.
The
renegotiated deal, which took effect on January 1, 2026, includes a 40 per cent
salary increase for lecturers and introduces the Consolidated Academic Tools
Allowance to cover publication and research costs.
The
union warned that unless urgent action is taken, more state universities could
join institutions already affected by industrial disputes arising from the
non-implementation of the agreement.
The
union warned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently implement the 2025
agreement or risk a fresh industrial crisis that could shut LASU, LASUED and
LASUSTECH.
The
union specifically called on Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene and avert what it
described as “brewing unrest” in the three universities.
Addressing
a press conference at LASUSTECH, Ikorodu, on Thursday, the ASUU Lagos Zonal
Coordinator, Adesola Nassir, said six months of discussions with
representatives of the state government had produced “no concrete results.”
He
added, “The non-implementation of the agreement being experienced by our
members has left academic staff in the Lagos State-owned universities feeling
neglected, undervalued, and increasingly uncertain about the government’s
commitment to their welfare.”
Nassir
recalled that ASUU spent “eight torturous years” renegotiating the 2009
agreement with the Federal Government before the 2025 agreement was eventually
signed.
“To
our utter disappointment, the Lagos State Government appears to be playing the
ostrich on this matter,” Nassir said.
He
argued that Nigeria operates “one university system,” describing the reluctance
of state governments to implement the new ASUU/FG agreement as “totally
unacceptable.”
Nassir
warned that the prolonged uncertainty was already affecting morale in LASU,
LASUSTECH and LASUED.
“Where
staff begin to feel despondent, as is now the case at LASU, LASUSTECH and
LASUED, management of the system becomes problematic and this triggers
institutional decline in all its ramifications, inclusive of staff apathy,
ethical drift and sharp practices, reduced graduate quality and eventually
disruption in the academic calendar,” he said.
He
added that Lagos had become “synonymous with delayed attention to legitimate
staff welfare” and criticised what he called the “lackadaisical manner” in
which local crises in LASU and LASUED were being handled.
“ASUU
remains committed to constructive engagement. But we would not allow any state
to trivialise our committed struggle to improve the lot of our universities in
producing high-quality graduates that would power societal development at state
and national levels,” Nassir said.
The
union noted that it had written to all state governments that own universities,
including Lagos, through their vice-chancellors, and that the NUC had also
communicated with universities on the matter.
Nassir
said several state universities across the country had already shut down over
the non-implementation of the agreement and that ASUU was “giving full backing
to this movement.
“The
Lagos State Government is also yet to indicate when it plans to implement the
agreement.
“We
feel strongly that Lagos State should not be on this negative pedestal as it
has the resources not just to implement the agreement, but to enhance it given
the peculiarities of the state.”
He
announced that the Lagos Zone would support whatever decision the branches in
LASU, LASUSTECH and LASUED take to press for implementation.
“We at
the Lagos Zone of ASUU will give our full support to LASU, LASUED and LASUSTECH
in whatever decision they choose to take to get the agreement implemented by
the Lagos State Government.
“We
are thereby alerting the Lagos State Government of brewing unrest in the state.
“Government,
not ASUU, should be held responsible if all universities belonging to Lagos
State are thrown into avoidable crises or totally shut down on account of the
poor response of the government to the concerns of our members. A stitch in
time saves nine,” he said.
The
union urged Sanwo-Olu, as Visitor to the three universities, to “crown his
tenure with a crisis-free Lagos State” by resolving the matter urgently.
ASUU
also demanded the immediate resolution of other disputes, including what it
described as the weaponisation of “a flimsy administrative matter” to terminate
the appointment of its chairperson at LASUED, outstanding entitlements owed
members in the institution and the dismissal of ASUU officers at LASU, which it
said had lingered for almost 10 years.
“Finally,
we call on the governor, his lieutenants and all stakeholders in Lagos State to
mediate in these matters and resolve them in earnest,” Nassir said.
The
Bauchi Zone of ASUU, on Thursday, accused the Gombe and Plateau State
governments of failing to implement the agreement, warning that the development
could trigger industrial unrest in the affected universities.
The
union said despite the agreement reached, both Gombe State University and
Plateau State University had yet to comply with its provisions.
Speaking
at a press conference held at Gombe State University, the Zonal Coordinator of
ASUU, Timothy-Aku Namo, said the refusal of the two state governments to
implement the agreement had worsened the living conditions of academics and
heightened frustration among lecturers.
Namo
noted that although the Federal Government later released funds for the salary
component of the agreement and constituted an implementation monitoring
committee, many state governments had yet to honour their commitments.
The
ASUU leader disclosed that following a forensic audit conducted by the union’s
National Executive Council on June 21, 2026, only Sa’adu Zungur University in
Bauchi State and Ekiti State University were found to have implemented the
agreement among state-owned universities reviewed.
He
lamented what he described as the worsening welfare of academics, saying Gombe
State University and Plateau State University had become flashpoints of the
implementation crisis.
Namo
appealed to the visitors to the two universities to intervene before the
situation degenerated into another round of industrial action.
