The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a four-day ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria, demanding immediate implementation of the newly approved salary structure for university lecturers or risk a nationwide shutdown of public universities.
ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, delivered the warning during a meeting at Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State, stressing that further delays would provoke a decisive response from the union.
“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the federal government to commence payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” Piwuna said.
The warning follows months after ASUU and the federal government reached a renegotiated agreement in January, aimed at resolving longstanding disputes and preventing the recurring industrial actions that have disrupted Nigeria’s university system.
Central to the agreement is a revised salary structure intended to improve lecturers’ welfare and address lingering issues from previous agreements that were largely left unimplemented.
Despite initial optimism, ASUU says progress has been minimal. According to Piwuna, several federal universities are currently struggling to meet salary obligations.
“Some institutions could not fully pay January salaries, while others are yet to pay for last month,” he disclosed.
The crisis recently escalated at the University of Lagos, where lecturers embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries before suspending the action following discussions with the institution’s management.
ASUU attributes the delay in implementing the new salary structure to logistical challenges, including the slow passage of the 2026 national budget.
With the ultimatum already in effect, pressure is mounting on the federal government to act swiftly and avert another disruption to academic activities across public universities nationwide.
Education stakeholders warn that failure to resolve the dispute could plunge the sector into yet another cycle of strikes, further destabilising Nigeria’s higher education system.
