Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) lecturers at the Federal University of Uyo (UniUyo) have shut down both campuses and suspended all examinations scheduled to begin on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in protest of the Federal Government’s failure to honour the long-overdue 2009 renegotiated agreement and persistent neglect of university funding matters . Lecturers staged a rally early in the morning, marching across the Town Campus, the annex, and Ikpa Road, brandishing placards that read: “Our salaries are too poor,” “Pay us sustainable living salaries,” “Treat lecturers with some dignity,” “We are FG lecturers and not borrowers,” and “Government, please sign and implement our renegotiated agreement.” .
Addressing students and the press at the main gate, ASUU UniUyo chairperson, Prof. Opeyemi Olajide, decried the stagnation of lecturers’ salaries: “We have been on the same salary for 16 years,” despite soaring living costs . He further lamented the withholding of three and a half months of salaries, unfulfilled infrastructure funding promises, and the absence of adjustment for promotions and third-party deductions, all contributing to what he described as the government’s “disdain” for academic staff welfare . With deep frustration evident, he declared, “So there is no examination today, go home!”, signaling the potential for an indefinite strike if the government fails to address these pressing concerns .
Concurrently, ASUU members at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) also joined the nationwide protest on Monday, August 25, 2025, echoing similar grievances—non-payment of arrears, salary stagnation since 2009, and failure to comply with agreement terms that promised periodic reviews every three years . Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, ASUU UniAbuja chair, emphasized that the lecturers are not seeking favours but rightful compensation for services rendered, including promotion arrears and long-neglected entitlements .
ASUU has also rejected the Federal Government’s newly announced Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, which offers interest-free loans of up to ₦10 million to university staff—describing the initiative as a deceptive “bait” that could worsen lecturers’ debt burdens instead of addressing systemic pay and welfare issues . With tensions rising, the union has issued a stern warning that without prompt government action to settle salaries and fully implement the 2009 agreement, preparations for another nationwide strike could begin imminently.
