THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that it will not be intimidated by the Federal Government’s threat to invoke the no-work, no-pay policy, insisting that its ongoing strike will continue until the government addresses all outstanding issues affecting the nation’s public universities.
Reacting to a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education urging the union to shelve its planned strike, ASUU described the move as “a threat disguised as negotiation.”
In a phone interview with The ICIR on Monday, October 13, ASUU Chairman Chris Piwuna stated that the strike had already commenced across public universities nationwide.
“We have started the strike, and it will continue. We don’t respond to threats. If they want to resort to a threat, let them go ahead. The union is ready for any threat,” Piwuna said.
“They can’t threaten us and call for negotiation. They should withdraw their threat if they want negotiations.”
The federal government had on Sunday, October 12, in a joint statement by the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, and Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad, asked ASUU to embrace dialogue, noting that it had made a “comprehensive offer” covering staff welfare, working conditions, and institutional governance.
The ministers further warned that the government would not hesitate to apply the no-work, no-pay rule if the union proceeded with the strike.
They also clarified that certain aspects of ASUU’s demands, particularly those relating to internal governance, appointments, and promotions, are statutory responsibilities of university governing councils. They urged the union to allow these matters to be handled appropriately at the institutional level in line with existing regulations.
The statement mentioned that it would invoke “No-Work, No-Pay” should ASUU proceed with the strike.
“While government remains committed to peaceful dialogue, it will equally enforce existing laws to protect the integrity of our education system and ensure accountability,” the statement added.
However, ASUU insisted that the government has failed to meet several key obligations, including unpaid salary arrears, earned academic allowances, and withheld wages from the 2022 strike.
While declaring the strike, Piwuna said the decision to declare a strike followed the federal government’s failure to meet the union’s long-standing demands, despite repeated engagements and notices.
“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th of September 2025,” Piwuna stated.
Previously, Piwuna urged the federal government to resolve outstanding issues affecting lecturers while commending the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, for facilitating the release of ₦50 billion as part of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).
However, he noted that the amount represents only a fraction of what is owed to members, stating that the total EAA arrears stand at ₦103 billion. He explained that the union had earlier agreed to forfeit 50 per cent of the allowance, provided the remaining balance would be paid and integrated into their salaries.
Background
On Sunday, October 12, ASUU President Chris Piwuna announced that the union would embark on a two-week warning strike across all its branches starting Monday, October 13, 2025.
Speaking at a press briefing at the union’s national headquarters in the University of Abuja, Piwuna said the decision followed the federal government’s failure to meet ASUU’s long-standing demands despite multiple engagements and notices.
“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th of September 2025,” he stated.
He lamented that the government has yet to settle several key obligations, including 12 months of unpaid salary increments (25–35 per cent) and three and a half months of withheld salaries from the 2022 strike, describing the withholding as “punitive.”
Piwuna added that the industrial court’s ruling on the no work, no pay policy was inconclusive, effectively leaving its enforcement to the government’s discretion.
A standoff rekindled
The ICIR reports that the latest confrontation between ASUU and the federal government rekindles memories of previous prolonged strikes that crippled Nigeria’s public university system.
The 2022 strike, which lasted eight months, disrupted academic calendars nationwide and sparked student protests.
The union went on strike five times in five years under Buhari.
The group was on strike in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022. However, a hitch-free academic year was recorded in 2023.
Despite assurances of reform from the Nigeria government, ASUU said chronic underfunding, poor remuneration, and weak institutional autonomy persist.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M