ASUU To FG: Lecturers Are Traumatized Over Unpaid Salary; Strike Imminent

Universities teachers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union ofUniversities, ASUU says it will shut down Nigerian univrsities if  the federa government failed torestore outstanding allowance owed to its mmebrs under an agreement bewteen the two parties in 2025.

ASUU said on Friday that it has given enough time tothe fderal government,and willnolonger notified the authority before it directs it members to  embarkon an indfiniet strikes action,which includes grounding activities in all the countries ivory towers.

The union said the decision to embarkon strike was taken during an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council, NEC,  held on September 5, 2026, in Abuja,the nation’scapital.

Accoding to ASUU President Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the federal government should be blamed ifthe union eventually embarked on the strike,saying the failure by the auhtority to implement the Dece,ber 2025 agreement has push the teachers tothe wall,urging the government to pay withheld salaries and allowance running into several billions.

ASUU said in the statement that its members are still being owed more than three months ofthe seven months salary arrears since the Buhari’s administration, saying the adminsitration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu had only paid four months out ofthe seven montsh owed the union.

Based on this development,ASUU said its members economicand professional well being are in danger, as such it could no longer guanrantee peaceful and smooth academic activities in the ivory towers across the country.

It stressed that the salary arrears have already lost value,  due tothe weakening naira, adding that the universities lecturers are traumatised due tothe unpaid allowance and salaries.

“We state for the umpteenth time that the lecturers have done the work for which they are being punished. They did it at huge cost to their physical and psycho-social well-being,” ASUU said.

“Some lost their lives in the process and many are now managing life-threatening ailments. For healing and restoration in the Nigerian University System, we think the withheld salaries of lecturers should be released without further delay.”