ABUJA \u2014 The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday announced that it expects an official response from the Federal Government of Nigeria by Monday as its looming two-week warning strike enters a critical phase. The union emphasized that its next move \u2014 including possible escalation \u2014 will hinge significantly on feedback from the Federal Ministry of Education.
ASUU National President Chris Piwuna told journalists in Abuja that the union is closely watching developments and will convene its national executive council as soon as feedback arrives. \u201cWe are expecting feedback from the ministry on Monday. For now, there\u2019s nothing more to say,\u201d he said, without elaborating on what measures ASUU might pursue next.
The announcement follows a two-week warning strike that began on Oct. 13, launched in protest against what ASUU describes as the government\u2019s disregard for longstanding demands, including payment of withheld salary arrears, unremitted pension funds and release of a \u20a650 billion revitalisation fund. The union also demands implementation of a renegotiated agreement produced by the Yayale Ahmed-led negotiation committee more than eight months ago.
In an earlier broadcast interview, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa accused ASUU of striking without justification, insisting that the government has \u201caddressed every single request\u201d and issued a formal counter-proposal aimed at resolving the dispute. \u201cThere is no need for this strike,\u201d he said, adding that decisive steps have been taken to fortify funding for public universities, including a \u20a6683 billion infrastructure allocation in the 2025 budget.
Yet ASUU leadership has publicly rejected the government\u2019s position. Piwuna said the \u20a650 billion disbursed toward earned academic allowances (EAA) does not cover the full arrears of at least \u20a6103 billion, and accused the ministry of using delay tactics. \u201cThey ask for two weeks, then another three \u2014 that\u2019s stalling,\u201d he said. The union also insisted that only three-and-a-half months of withheld salary arrears were paid, though prior agreements included full payment.
Even as ASUU waits for a response, the Senate of Nigeria has waded into the dispute, accusing the Federal Government of breaking earlier agreements and promising a joint meeting with the education ministry and the National Universities Commission to resolve the crisis. Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions Chairman Mohammed Dandutse said a full Senate report will be submitted and that lawmakers plan to urge President Bola Tinubu to intervene personally.
Dandutse emphasized that \u201ceducation is the backbone of national development\u201d and warned that continued unrest could cripple the public university system. Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi added that ASUU\u2019s demands \u201care not unreasonable,\u201d lamenting that successive governments have habitually signed agreements only to abandon them.
The government, through Alausa, insists that wide-ranging initiatives already under way should satisfy ASUU\u2019s concerns. Besides infrastructure funding, Alausa cited plans for academic staff training, expansion of medical schools, and disbursement of funds to boost student support programs. He also accused ASUU leadership of prolonging negotiation by insisting that disbursement of needs-assessment funds should be channelled exclusively through the union rather than shared with polytechnics and colleges of education.
But ASUU remains unmoved. Piwuna praised lecturers\u2019 sacrifice and vowed the strike could escalate if no tangible government action is taken. \u201cWe don\u2019t want students left in limbo,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we insist that reforms, not rhetoric, are necessary for peace to return.\u201d The union has also raised concerns about a possible land grab by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, which ASUU says could jeopardize future academic and agricultural research.
The countdown to Monday\u2019s deadline is set against a backdrop of intensifying public pressure. Business owners and parents have warned of severe socioeconomic ripple effects if universities remain shut, while analysts fear that prolonged disruptions could discourage top students from pursuing academic careers or fuel brain drain from Nigeria\u2019s public university system.
As the nation waits, ASUU insists its patience is not infinite \u2014 and that Monday\u2019s response from the government could determine whether negotiations restart in good faith, or whether a more disruptive confrontation looms on the horizon.
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