LAGOS, Nigeria — Lecturers at Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Education and Lagos State University of Science and Technology have begun an indefinite strike after the Academic Staff Union of Universities said the Lagos State government failed to implement key provisions of a national agreement on lecturers’ pay, allowances and welfare.
The strike took effect Tuesday after meetings of ASUU branches at the three state-owned universities. The union had given the Lagos government a 14-day ultimatum on Aug. 31 and said the deadline expired without a satisfactory agreement or a clear plan to address its demands.
ASUU issued another warning Sept. 10, saying “silence is no longer an option,” but said there was no meaningful engagement before its Sept. 13 deadline.
The industrial action affects Lagos State University, commonly known as LASU, in Ojo; Lagos State University of Education, or LASUED, in Oto/Ijanikin; and Lagos State University of Science and Technology, known as LASUSTECH, in Ikorodu.
At the center of the dispute is a December 2025 agreement between Nigeria’s federal government and ASUU. The lecturers want relevant provisions of that agreement formally adopted, or “domesticated,” by the Lagos government for academics working in state-owned universities.
Domestication in this context means adapting a nationally negotiated agreement so its provisions can be formally implemented by a state government.
Among ASUU’s demands are implementation of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, commonly called CATA, and improved welfare provisions for serving and retired lecturers. The broader agreement included a 40% salary increase for academics and measures covering research funding, university financing and working conditions.
The union said the decision to strike was taken “with a heavy heart” because of the consequences for students, parents and the academic calendar. It urged students to remain peaceful while negotiations continue.
ASUU also said the strike was not directed at the management of LASU, LASUED or LASUSTECH, noting that university administrators had made efforts toward implementing the agreement. It appealed to parents, alumni groups, traditional and religious leaders and civil society organizations to support efforts to resolve the dispute.
The reports reviewed did not include a substantive public response from the Lagos State government to the latest strike declaration. ASUU said the work stoppage would continue until the government enters meaningful negotiations and implements the relevant provisions of the agreement.
The immediate concern is disruption to lectures, examinations, research supervision, grading and other academic activities.
LASUSTECH alone reports more than 12,000 students across five colleges and 34 departments, showing the potential scale of the disruption.
An indefinite strike has no predetermined end date, meaning university calendars could be revised if the dispute continues.
While early reports contained limited independently verified comments from affected students or parents, ASUU acknowledged their concerns and appealed for patience and understanding.
The Lagos strike comes amid wider tensions between ASUU and governments over implementation of the 2025 agreement, withheld salaries and deductions from lecturers’ earnings.
Several Nigerian universities have experienced separate disputes in recent weeks. Lecturers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University began a strike over salary payments before suspending it after receiving their full August salaries, while Plateau State University lecturers also suspended industrial action after reaching an agreement with the state government.
Reports have also shown uneven implementation of the 2025 agreement among state-owned universities across Nigeria.
ASUU, established in 1978, has been a major force in Nigeria’s higher education system for decades.
Successive disputes between lecturers and Nigerian governments have focused on university funding, academic autonomy, salaries, infrastructure and working conditions.
Repeated shutdowns have disrupted academic calendars and frustrated students and families, with some Nigerians increasingly considering private universities or education abroad because of concerns about the reliability of public university calendars.
The dispute also has an international dimension. Nigerian universities compete globally for academics and researchers, while lecturers have repeatedly raised concerns about skilled professionals leaving the country for better-funded institutions abroad.
Persistent strikes and disputes over pay can intensify those pressures and affect Nigeria’s ability to retain academic talent.
Attention now turns to whether the Lagos State government will open negotiations with the lecturers and whether the disputed provisions can be implemented without a prolonged shutdown.
ASUU says it remains willing to negotiate and that academic activities can resume once the outstanding issues are resolved.
For thousands of students across the three universities, the length of the disruption will depend largely on how quickly the government and union bridge their differences.
