Fresh ASUU Dispute Brews Over Delayed Agreement Implementation

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Sokoto Zonal Chapter, has warned that Nigerian universities may face fresh industrial unrest if the Federal Government and state authorities fail to fully implement the 2025 agreement reached with the union.

The zone, which covers 10 universities across the North-West, accused the government of slow, selective and distorted implementation of key aspects of the agreement signed with ASUU earlier in 2026.

Speaking in Sokoto, the Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Abubakar Sabo, said the failure to properly integrate the agreement into government fiscal and monetary policies had created administrative bottlenecks and inconsistent implementation across universities.

According to him, several institutions are yet to implement major provisions of the agreement, including payment of academic and professorial allowances, earned academic allowances, promotion arrears, salary shortfalls, annual increments and outstanding third-party deductions owed to lecturers.

Sabo urged both federal and state governments to fully honour all parts of the agreement to avoid disruption of academic activities and ensure stability in the university system.

The union also expressed concern over unresolved welfare issues affecting lecturers nationwide, such as unpaid 25–35 per cent salary award arrears, withheld salaries from the 2022 ASUU strike, delayed pension payments and the absence of pension harmonisation for retired academics.

ASUU further highlighted challenges in state-owned universities within the Sokoto Zone, especially the non-payment of earned academic allowances and failure to implement the 40 per cent peculiar allowance.

The union cited Sokoto State University and Shehu Shagari University of Education as examples where lecturers handling parallel and special academic programmes were yet to receive their entitlements.

It also accused some universities of failing to remit cooperative deductions and union dues, while others allegedly owe lecturers promotion arrears and annual salary increments dating back to 2020.

Sabo stressed that universities cannot function effectively when lecturers are denied their rightful earnings for years, warning that continued neglect of the issues could trigger nationwide industrial disputes capable of disrupting academic activities.

On education policies, the union aligned with ASUU’s National Executive Council in rejecting several recent policy decisions in the sector.

Among the policies criticised were the reported reversal of the mother-tongue policy in early education and the proposed establishment of foreign-affiliated universities under the Transnational Education Framework, which ASUU said could weaken local universities.

The union also opposed the compulsory enrolment of academics into the Nigerian Educational Repository Data system without adequate consultation and rejected moves to phase out some humanities and social science courses.

According to ASUU, unemployment in Nigeria is caused by poor economic policies and weak governance rather than academic programmes.

The union also condemned what it described as growing cases of maladministration, lack of transparency and politically influenced appointments in universities, insisting that leadership appointments should be based on merit, due process and accountability.

ASUU additionally expressed concern over worsening insecurity, economic hardship and political tension across the country, especially in northern Nigeria, noting that banditry, terrorism and kidnappings continue to threaten educational activities and the safety of staff and students.

The union called on governments at all levels to prioritise security, tackle poverty and unemployment, and create a stable environment for education and national development.

ASUU reaffirmed its commitment to defending the rights of academics and pushing for improved funding, welfare and autonomy for public universities in Nigeria.