ASUU Stages Nationwide Protest, Shuts Down Universities Over FG’s Neglect

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, staged nationwide protests across Nigerian universities to demand better welfare, improved working conditions, and implementation of long-standing agreements with the Federal Government.

The protest followed a directive issued by ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, declaring the date as a day of action across all campuses. According to him, the demonstrations were meant to signal the union’s dissatisfaction with both federal and state governments over their persistent neglect of issues affecting academics in public universities.

Placards carried by lecturers across campuses read: “ASUU rejects empty promises,” “No renegotiation, No peace,” “Pay our promotion arrears,” and “We are lecturers, not FG borrowers.”

At the University of Lagos (UNILAG), ASUU branch chairman, Prof. Idowu Kehinde, argued that government policies forcing lecturers to depend on loans were unnecessary.
“If lecturers are paid a living wage and allowances are settled as due, no one would need to borrow money. The government should do the needful,” he said.

Similarly, at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), branch chairperson, Prof. Opeyemi Olajide, decried the government’s failure to review lecturers’ salaries for over 16 years despite worsening economic realities. He further accused the government of refusing to complete the renegotiated 2009 agreement or address outstanding promotion arrears and third-party deductions.
“Today, no exams will hold. We will not allow the government to keep treating our welfare with disdain,” Olajide told students, directing them to leave their exam halls.

At the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), ASUU Chairman, Prof. Ola Oyedele, also criticized the government’s silence on the union’s demands. He noted that lecturers were not interested in the Federal Government’s TISSF Loan scheme but were demanding a proper salary structure and payment of withheld salaries.

The protests, which also held at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), University of Ibadan (UI), and other campuses, disrupted academic activities nationwide.

As of press time, the Federal Government had not issued any official response to ASUU’s latest action