The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced plans to shut down all public universities in Nigeria indefinitely from Friday if the Federal Government fails to meet its long-standing demands. The development raises fresh concerns for millions of students and parents who have endured repeated academic disruptions over the years.
ASUU made the announcement on Tuesday through a short statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account. According to the union, the planned nationwide shutdown will go ahead if the government does not take urgent action to address key issues affecting Nigeria’s public university system, including fair salaries, improved working conditions, and measures to stop the mass exodus of lecturers.
“All universities will be closed nationwide till further notice on Friday,” the union said in the brief statement.
One of the major triggers of the planned strike is ASUU’s rejection of the Federal Government’s recent 35 per cent salary increase proposal for academic staff. The union has consistently argued that the offer falls far below the level needed to reflect the current economic realities in the country.
ASUU leaders say inflation, rising living costs, and the steady weakening of the naira have drastically reduced the value of lecturers’ wages. They also argue that many lecturers are leaving Nigeria for better-paying jobs abroad, a trend they warn could lead to an even deeper crisis in the education sector.
The union insists that the government must fully renegotiate the long-delayed 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which covers salary structure, university autonomy, funding for infrastructure, and staff welfare. They argue that several provisions of the agreement have remained unimplemented for more than a decade, weakening the quality of teaching and research in Nigerian universities.
The current tension follows years of disagreements between ASUU and the Federal Government. Nigerian students have suffered several lengthy strikes, including an eight-month industrial action in 2022, one of the longest in the country’s history. While temporary solutions have been reached in past negotiations, many of the union’s demands remain unresolved.
In October this year, ASUU suspended a two-week warning strike after the government agreed to return to the renegotiation table. The union gave the government more time to look into key issues, including earned academic allowances, revitalisation funds for public universities, withheld salaries, and the continued use of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), which ASUU says does not support university autonomy.
However, despite several meetings, both sides have remained far apart on critical points.
According to the union, the planned strike is aimed at forcing the government to take the education sector more seriously. ASUU says Nigerian universities are losing lecturers at an alarming rate because the working environment has become too difficult. Many experienced academics are leaving the country for jobs in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, creating gaps in teaching and supervision.
The union also argues that inadequate funding has left public universities with outdated facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and poor research support. Students often deal with broken laboratories, limited equipment, and unreliable electricity and internet services.
ASUU believes that without urgent intervention, the problems facing Nigerian universities will become even more difficult to fix in the future.
The announcement of a possible indefinite strike has already sparked worry among students, parents, and education stakeholders. Many fear that another nationwide shutdown could further delay academic calendars, extend graduation timelines, and reduce the competitiveness of Nigerian graduates.
Some parents have also expressed concern that repeated strikes may push more students to seek education abroad or in private universities, further widening inequality in access to education.
As of Tuesday evening, the Federal Government had not released an official statement in response to ASUU’s new threat. However, officials in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour are expected to meet soon to review the situation.
In previous disputes, the government has appealed to ASUU to consider the impact of strikes on students while promising to address outstanding issues. But the union has often insisted that a strike is the only language the government listens to.
With Friday fast approaching, the fate of millions of university students hangs in the balance. If ASUU proceeds with its plan, public universities will once again be thrown into near-total shutdown. Many students, already worried about their academic future, are hoping for a last-minute breakthrough.
