ASUU Disrupts Exams at UNIBEN as Two-Week Strike Begins, Students Express Frustration

The tension in Nigeria’s university system heightened on Monday as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) stormed the University of Benin (UNIBEN) to enforce compliance with the union’s newly declared two-week warning strike, leading to the abrupt suspension of ongoing examinations.

Eyewitnesses said lecturers moved from hall to hall, ordering students to vacate examination venues, in line with the national directive of the union to commence the industrial action immediately. The sudden interruption reportedly left many students stranded and confused.

“Every exam in the faculty has been cancelled,” one affected student told Sahara Reporters under anonymity. “No more exams till after two weeks. UNIBEN ASUU has mobilised its members to disrupt any ongoing exams. The strike started immediately.”

The national leadership of ASUU had announced the two-week warning strike to protest what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to fulfil longstanding agreements on university funding, earned academic allowances, and the full implementation of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

In response, the Federal Government reiterated its warning that the “no work, no pay” policy would be enforced on striking lecturers. In a joint statement on Sunday, the Minister of Education, Prof. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmed, accused ASUU of abandoning dialogue despite what they termed the government’s “genuine and consistent efforts” to meet its obligations.

They urged the union to reconsider its decision and return to the negotiation table, stressing that dialogue remains the best path to resolving disputes in the tertiary education sector.

However, as the strike action commenced nationwide, the Ministry of Education issued a fresh circular dated October 13, 2025, directing vice-chancellors of all federal universities to enforce the “no work, no pay” rule. The circular, signed by Dr. Alausa, ordered institutions to compile attendance records and submit detailed reports identifying staff members who participate in or abstain from the strike.