There are strong indications that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will go ahead with its planned nationwide strike, as the union lamented the lack of any significant progress.
This development comes just a week before the scheduled industrial action, even as it commenced the mobilisation of its members across public universities in the country.
In a bulletin to members of the union, it decried the lethargic response of the Federal Government in addressing its demands.
Last Monday, ASUU had given the Nigerian Government a 14-day ultimatum to address its seven-point demands or face industrial action.The decision was reached at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on September 28 at the University of Abuja.
The Guardian reports that in the document titled Strike Bulletin No. 1 and dated October 5, 2025, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, urged members to prepare themselves for another round of industrial action.
Prof. Piwuna explained that they were left with no option but to close universities through strikes due to the government’s inaction.
He said, “The resolutions (of NEC) were immediately communicated to the Honourable Minister of Labour, the Honourable Minister of Education, and the Nigeria Labour Congress. It is now one week since those resolutions were reached and communicated to the appropriate authorities.
I regret to inform you that there is no meaningful development deserving of any consideration to be reported.
“As we enter the second and final week of the ultimatum, I thank you on behalf of NEC for the patience and understanding which you demonstrated since the commencement of this torturous negotiation that has unjustifiably lasted over eight years. The goal of our current action remains principally to compel government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement document, amongst other demands.”
The ASUU President called for “mobilisation of every member of our union to ensure unity of purpose,” adding that “No one should be left out of the struggle for our welfare, to stem the Japa syndrome and reposition the Nigeria University System (NUS) for global competitiveness.”
He emphasised that the union has always acted in solidarity as a collective, even as he urged members to take instructions only from their Chairpersons, Zonal Coordinators, and to attend Congress meetings regularly for updates on further developments.
