The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that Nigerian universities may soon be shut down if the Federal Government fails to address long-standing issues affecting lecturers and the education sector. Speaking at a press conference at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, the Akure Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Professor Adeola Oyebisi Egbedokun, said the union’s patience had been stretched to its breaking point after more than two years of unfulfilled promises under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Egbedokun explained that ASUU’s demands include the full implementation of the 2009 ASUU–FGN Agreement, the revitalization of universities through sustainable funding, payment of outstanding salary arrears of 25–35 percent, resolution of stagnated promotions, and remittance of unfulfilled third-party deductions. He also raised concerns about what he described as the “victimisation of colleagues” in certain institutions, warning that these unresolved issues have left lecturers financially strained and demoralised.
The union leader noted that the Federal Government has scheduled a meeting for August 28, 2025, but cautioned that failure to produce tangible results could force lecturers to embark on what he called the “mother of all strikes.” He stressed that trust between the union and the government had been broken, and only decisive action could prevent another nationwide shutdown of universities.
In a show of resolve, ASUU members across different campuses held peaceful rallies on Monday, suspending academic activities in what Egbedokun described as a “test-run” of the union’s next move. Meanwhile, other zonal branches have echoed similar warnings, with ASUU in Calabar declaring that they are fully prepared to cripple the university system if inaction by the government continues.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also thrown its weight behind the lecturers. At rallies in the University of Ibadan and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, NLC officials joined ASUU members in demanding that the government honour agreements already reached. Carrying placards that read “Sign the Agreement, Save Education,” the protesters warned that failure to sign the renegotiated pact by August 28 would leave the government solely responsible for the crisis that would follow.
Egbedokun further rejected the Federal Government’s new loan policy for lecturers, describing it as a “sinister snare” that would trap academics in perpetual financial hardship while undermining cooperative societies that currently serve as their safety net. According to him, lecturers have endured economic stagnation for too long, with many unable to afford school fees for their own children despite dedicating their lives to educating the nation.
ASUU has now called on stakeholders, including the National Assembly, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and students, to prevail on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to avert a crisis. With the countdown to August 28 already underway, the union insists that the ball is firmly in the government’s court.
