The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government a four-day ultimatum to begin the implementation of its newly approved salary structure or face decisive industrial action.
ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, made this known on Thursday during a public lecture at Sa’adu Zungur University, Yuli Campus in Bauchi State.
According to him, the salary agreement, reached in December 2025, was scheduled to take effect from January 2026, but the government has yet to commence payments.
“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the Federal Government to begin payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” Piwuna warned.
He expressed frustration over what he described as the Federal Government’s persistent failure to honour past agreements, a pattern that has repeatedly triggered disputes and strikes within the university system.
Piwuna also criticized the proposed establishment of a Nigerian branch of Coventry University, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to London. He argued that the move would undermine the integrity and relevance of local universities.
Describing the plan as a form of “educational colonialism,” the ASUU president maintained that the union remains committed to strengthening Nigeria’s university system. He further noted that the foreign institution’s expansion comes at a time of declining global admission applications, urging the government to instead partner with ASUU to improve local institutions.
Earlier, on March 11, 2026, ASUU had directed members in some branches to withdraw their services due to delays in the payment of June 2025 salary arrears and complications arising from the transition to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
The union had also issued multiple ultimatums in late 2025, including 14-day and one-month notices, pressing the government to finalize the renegotiation and implementation of the 2009 ASUU-Federal Government agreement.
Meanwhile, rising labour unrest is not limited to ASUU. On March 25, 2026, federal civil servants outside the union also threatened a nationwide strike over unpaid wage awards, underscoring growing tensions across Nigeria’s public sector.
