The leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria, has declared a two-week warning strike, beginning at midnight on Monday, October 13, 2025.
The decision follows the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the federal government to address long-standing demands.
The warning strike, according to public affairs commentators, is a significant blow to Tinubu’s government promise that students’ time in school would not be interrupted by strike actions.
President of ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna, who announced the strike action this Sunday at a news conference in Abuja, ordered members of ASUU in all its branches to withdraw their services with effect from midnight (12.01 a.m.) on Monday.
This followed the expiration of the two-week ultimatum the Union gave the Federal Government to meet their lingering demands.
According to him, what the government offered ASUU was nothing to stop the proposed strike action.
He said: “It goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on ground to stop the implementation of ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14 days notice given on 28th September, 2025,
“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight (12.01a.m.) on Monday, 13th October, 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting,” Piwuna stated.
As ASSU commences the warning strike, it has restated its demands, among which are: re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement,
implementation of all agreements – full implementation of agreements reached during previous negotiations, including earned academic allowances, revitalization funds for public universities, resolution of labour disputes – to work with unions like the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to address grievances over funding and welfare.
Others are, welfare packages – review of lecturers’ welfare packages and payment of withheld salaries, university funding – sustainable funding for university revitalization, brain drain – addressing the issue of loss of qualified lecturers through labour migration.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, however, revealed that the federal government had reached the final stage of talks with ASUU and other university-based unions. He said that the government has released ₦50 billion for payment of earned academic allowances and included ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for needs assessment.
The minister assured of the government’s commitment to addressing ASUU demands, with the Solicitor-General of the Federation and officials from the Ministry of Justice directly involved in the negotiation process.
Alisa appealed to ASSU to avert the strike action, affirming the president’s resolve to address the issues.