The Federal Government has revealed that Nigeria’s university system lost a cumulative five years to industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the decade preceding President Bola Tinubu’s administration in 2023.
Officials say the repeated strikes not only stretched academic calendars but also weakened the quality of education and reduced the global competitiveness of Nigerian graduates.
Speaking at the launch of the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Incubation Certification (EIBIC) programme in Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, acknowledged that years of shutdowns in public tertiary institutions led to delayed graduations and declining student morale. He, however, declared that the trend has now been curtailed.
Despite occasional warning strikes since 2023, disruptions have reportedly been minimal, with authorities crediting improved dialogue, timely interventions, and proactive engagement with ASUU for maintaining stability.
Alausa emphasized that under the current administration, academic calendars have normalized, with degree programmes now running their full course without interruption something he said had not been achieved in decades.
“This President promised that four years will be four years. In the last decade, there were nearly 52 ASUU strikes and about 1,700 lost academic days almost five years. Since May 2023, that has dropped to zero,” he stated.
However, stakeholders warn that the relative calm may not last. Concerns persist that frequent past disruptions have affected Nigeria’s global university rankings. In the 2026 Times Higher Education rankings, both the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos were placed between 801 and 1000 globally.
Fresh tensions are now brewing, as ASUU threatens another strike over delays in implementing its renegotiated agreement with the Federal Government.
The agreement meant to resolve a long-standing dispute dating back to 2009 was scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026. It includes a 40 percent salary increase for lecturers, improved pensions, and enhanced academic allowances.
However, checks across several federal universities indicate that full implementation has yet to begin, contradicting government claims.
ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, recently warned that the union would take decisive action if progress is not made by the end of March, citing delays in budget approval as a key obstacle.
He also issued a four-day ultimatum during a public lecture in Bauchi, demanding immediate enforcement of the new salary structure.
Meanwhile, the Education Rights Campaign has dismissed the government’s claims as misleading. Its National Mobilisation Officer, Michael Adaramoye, argued that focusing solely on years lost to strikes ignores deeper systemic challenges within the education sector.
He warned that unless issues like poor funding and deteriorating infrastructure are addressed, industrial actions will persist.
“What is needed is a united struggle by students and education workers against the chronic underfunding and the dire state of tertiary institutions,” he said.
