Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria’s main labour union representing lecturers in public universities, has issued a four-day ultimatum to the federal government of Nigeria, warning that failure to implement a newly approved salary structure could lead to a nationwide shutdown of public universities.
The warning was delivered on Thursday by the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Christopher Piwuna, while speaking at Sa’adu Zungur University, a public university located in Bauchi State in northeastern Nigeria. He said the government must begin payment under the revised salary arrangement immediately.
“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the federal government to commence payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” he said.
Okay News reports that the ultimatum follows months after the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the federal government of Nigeria signed a renegotiated agreement in January aimed at resolving long-standing disputes that have repeatedly disrupted Nigeria’s higher education system.
Central to the agreement is a revised salary structure designed to improve lecturers’ welfare and address unresolved issues from the 2009 agreement between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities. That agreement remained largely unimplemented for years, contributing to frequent strikes.
Despite initial optimism, the union says progress has been slow. Christopher Piwuna recently revealed that several federal universities are struggling financially, with some institutions unable to fully pay January salaries while others have yet to pay February wages.
Tensions increased recently at the University of Lagos, a major federal university in Lagos State, southwestern Nigeria, where lecturers embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries before suspending the action after discussions with university management.
According to the union, delays in implementing the new salary structure are linked to practical challenges, including the slow passage of Nigeria’s 2026 national budget. With the four-day ultimatum now in effect, pressure is mounting on the government to act quickly and prevent another disruption to academic activities across Nigeria’s public universities.
