The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has confirmed a nationwide directive for its members to withdraw their services following the delay in the payment of June 2025 salaries. This move aligns with a resolution by ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC), which mandates that lecturers halt academic activities if salaries are not paid within three days of a new month.
Already, branches in the University of Jos and the University of Abuja have begun indefinite strike actions in compliance with the directive. ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, confirmed the development in Abuja on Monday, stating that the action was a direct enforcement of the NEC resolution.
Piwuna criticized what he described as the government’s “lackadaisical attitude” toward the timely payment of lecturers’ salaries, calling them a “paltry amount” that barely sustains academic staff. He linked the current crisis to the migration of university workers from the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), which has resulted in persistent delays.
Despite several engagements with key government stakeholders, including the Minister of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation, Piwuna lamented that no concrete solution has been provided, hence the union’s resolve to enforce the “No Pay, No Work” policy.
“What they are doing is just enforcing a NEC resolution,” he said. “We’ve had meetings with all relevant officials. They know what is happening but have refused to act. Our members are tired.”
The ASUU president stressed that the payment platform (GIFMIS) itself was not to blame, but rather the deliberate inaction of those responsible for disbursing funds, particularly within the Office of the Accountant General.
He further warned that if the remaining N10 billion of the N50 billion Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) owed to lecturers is not released, the union may be forced to take additional action. “We hope that this is paid quickly so that we do not have to fight over it,” he said.
At the University of Jos, ASUU branch chairman Jurbe Molwus confirmed that lecturers had stopped all academic and statutory duties, including lectures and meetings. He affirmed that the strike monitoring team had been activated to ensure full compliance.
Similarly, reports from the University of Abuja indicate that lecturers have also commenced strike action. While the branch chairman, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, could not be reached for comment, the university’s spokesperson, Dr. Habib Yakoob, referred inquiries to the ASUU leadership.
With more universities expected to join the industrial action in the coming days, the strike could lead to a major disruption in Nigeria’s public university system if the government fails to act swiftly.