ASUU Warns of Fresh Crisis in Nigerian Universities Over Unresolved Welfare Issues
Sokoto Zone accuses federal and state governments of slow implementation of 2025 agreement, threatens industrial unrest over unpaid allowances and poor university funding.
ASUU’s Sokoto Zone has warned of a possible fresh industrial crisis in Nigerian universities, citing the slow implementation of the 2025 agreement with government and unresolved welfare issues affecting lecturers across the country.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised fresh concerns over what it described as the slow and selective implementation of the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU agreement, warning that continued neglect of lecturers’ welfare could trigger a new round of industrial unrest in Nigerian universities.
The warning was issued by the Sokoto Zonal Chapter of the union, which covers 10 universities in the North-West, during a press briefing addressed by Zonal Coordinator Comrade Abubakar Sabo in Sokoto.
The union accused both federal and state governments of failing to fully implement key components of the agreement, which it said was formally presented in January 2026. According to ASUU, the delay has created inconsistencies in salary structures, allowances, and administrative processes across universities.
ASUU listed several unresolved issues, including unpaid academic and professorial allowances, earned academic allowances, promotion arrears, salary shortfalls, annual increments, and withheld deductions affecting lecturers across the zone.
The union also expressed concern over outstanding salary awards, pension-related delays, and benefits linked to the 2022 strike action, noting that many retired academics were still affected by unresolved pension harmonisation issues.
Specific institutions, including Sokoto State University and Shehu Shagari University of Education, were cited over alleged non-payment of entitlements for lecturers handling multiple academic sessions, as well as unpaid cooperative deductions and union dues.
The union warned that continued neglect of these issues could destabilize academic activities nationwide, stressing that lecturers deserve prompt and fair payment of their lawful entitlements to maintain stability in the sector.
ASUU also aligned with its National Executive Council in rejecting some recent national education policy decisions, including the reported reversal of the mother-tongue instruction policy in early childhood education, which it said lacked sufficient empirical backing.
