By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Joseph Erunke
Abuja-Nationwide strike looms as both the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and non-academic staff, under the aegis of National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, have alerted the federal government of their plans to embark on the action to pressure the federal government to implement the 2009 agreement reached with themselves.
While ASUU has just a week of the 14-day ultimatum given government left, NASS yesterday issued a 14-day ultimatum, failure of which it would embark on strike.
ASUU, in a fresh communication to its members yesterday, expressed disappointment over what it called the “continued lethargy” of the government in responding to issues affecting university lecturers and the nation’s public tertiary institutions.
According to a bulletin, titled “Strike Bulletin No. 1,” dated October 5, 2025, and signed by the President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, ASUU said it has begun mobilising its members in all public universities across the country in readiness for the strike.
Piwuna lamented that despite the resolutions of the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held on September 28 at the University of Abuja being promptly communicated to relevant authorities, there had been “no meaningful development deserving of any consideration.
“The resolutions were immediately communicated to the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Education, and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
‘’It is now one week since those resolutions were reached and communicated. I regret to inform you that there is no meaningful development deserving of any consideration to be reported.’’
“As we enter the final week of the ultimatum, I thank our members for their patience and understanding throughout this tortuous process. Our goal remains to compel the government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement and fulfill other pending commitments,” he added.
On its part, NAAT in a statement signed by the president, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, said: “NEC reviewed the progress made, following the conciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment on July 30, 2025, where a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was signed, and the meeting convened by the Minister of Education on Thursday, September 11, 2025, and the unfolding events in the education sector.
“The issues in contention are the non-completion of the FGN/ NAAT 2009 Agreement renegotiation, which seeks to review the existing salaries, allowances and other conditions of service in the Nigerian university system.
“In fact, only the inaugural meeting was held between the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiation committee and NAAT on December 10, 2024.”
It is, therefore, worrisome to hear that a report has been submitted by the committee to the federal government.
“The mainstreaming of Earned Allowances into the salaries of Academic Technologists to curb further accumulation of arrears and their attendant consequences.
“Non-release of the enabling circular for CONTISS 14 & 15 to enable NAAT members to get to the peak of their careers, and of recently, the delay in payment of monthly salaries, which causes untold hardship on NAAT members, considering the current economic realities.”
NAAT categorically stated that it rejected and could not accept the idea of disparity and distortions in salary tables of university staff and appealed to the government to avoid any action that could precipitate a crisis in the system.
It stated further: “NAAT is of the view that addressing the salary increment should be comprehensive and all-encompassing by maintaining the existing relationships among various salary tables being operated in the Nigerian university system.
“Consequent upon the above, the union, hereby, issues a 14-day ultimatum to the government to address the demands listed above.
“While the union remains open to dialogue, failure to address these demands by FG at the expiration of the ultimatum, the union will be left with no other option but to declare an industrial action to press home her demands without recourse to the government.”
The post 2009 agreement: Nationwide strike looms as ASUU, non-academic staff issue ultimatum appeared first on Vanguard News.
