The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed all its branches nationwide to suspend academic services following the failure of the Federal Government to pay June 2025 salaries, citing the implementation of its “No Pay, No Work” policy.
The strike action, which has already begun at the University of Jos and the University of Abuja, is expected to spread across other federal universities that are yet to receive their June salaries.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, confirmed the development in Abuja, stating that the action is in line with a standing resolution of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC). The resolution mandates that if salaries are not paid within three days of the new month, members are to withdraw their services until the payments are made.
“The government is aware of this resolution. We’ve had meetings with the Minister of Education and the Office of the Accountant General. We’ve explained the hardship this delay causes, but no action has been taken. Therefore, we agreed that if there is no pay, there will be no work,” Prof. Piwuna stated.
He blamed the Office of the Accountant General for the recurrent delays, accusing officials of deliberately holding back salary disbursements despite the absence of any technical issues with the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), the current payment platform.
According to the ASUU President, “The platform is working well, but those who make it work are not willing to make it work. We think it’s a deliberate act.”
In addition to the unpaid June salaries, ASUU is demanding the immediate release of the remaining N10 billion in Earned Academic Allowance (EAA). Out of the N50 billion earlier agreed upon with the Federal Government, only N40 billion has been disbursed.
Jurbe Molwus, Chairman of the ASUU branch at the University of Jos, confirmed that lecturers there have already withdrawn from lectures and statutory meetings. He reiterated that this action follows NEC’s directive and will continue each time salary delays go beyond the third day of a new month.
“The branch congress has affirmed the position, and our strike monitoring team is active to ensure compliance,” Molwus added.
With mounting frustration over repeated salary delays and unmet financial obligations, ASUU says it is left with no choice but to down tools as a form of protest and pressure on the government to fulfill its obligations.
The suspension of academic activities across federal universities signals another round of industrial unrest in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, raising fresh concerns over the stability of the academic calendar.
