Nigeria’s fragile university stability is facing another major test as the Academic Staff Union of Universities says unresolved welfare issues and incomplete implementation of its 2025 agreement with the Federal Government could push lecturers back toward industrial action.

Barely five months after both parties signed what was celebrated as a breakthrough deal to stabilise public universities, ASUU says many lecturers across federal and state institutions are still battling unpaid allowances, salary arrears, pension delays and inconsistent implementation of agreed benefits.

Speaking during a press conference at Academic Staff Union of Universities Abuja Zone held at Nasarawa State University on Monday, the union’s zonal coordinator, Adamu Al-Abdullahi, directly challenged recent claims by Tunji Alausa that the agreement had already been fully implemented.

“It is exactly five months since the fanfare that accompanied the signing of the FG/ASUU Agreement after a protracted negotiation spanning eight years. However, the claim that the FG has fully implemented the agreement is far from the realities on ground in federal universities,” Abdullahi said.

ASUU Says Universities Are Applying Agreement Selectively
The union accused the Federal Government of failing to establish the Implementation Monitoring Committee designed to ensure universities applied the agreement uniformly.

According to ASUU, the absence of central supervision has left universities interpreting the agreement independently, leading to uneven payment structures and confusion over approved benefits.

“The FG has left it to individual universities to implement in a distorted and uncoordinated manner,” Abdullahi stated.

ASUU claimed some university administrations were selectively paying components of approved entitlements, including the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, Earned Academic Allowance and Professorial Allowance.

However, a closer look shows the disagreement goes beyond unpaid money. The dispute reflects a deeper trust deficit that has repeatedly defined the relationship between Nigerian governments and university lecturers for more than a decade.

While some government officials maintain implementation has commenced, lecturers argue that partial execution without enforcement mechanisms effectively weakens the agreement itself.

Beyond implementation disputes, ASUU listed several unresolved welfare issues still affecting academics nationwide.

These include:
• Arrears tied to the 25–35 per cent salary award

• Outstanding promotion arrears
Withheld salaries connected to the 2022 ASUU strike

• Unpaid pension contributions
Delayed remittance of third-party deductions

“We want to sound this clear, no country can progress when the welfare issues of academics are left unattended,” Abdullahi said.

The union also criticised the continued use of the “No Work, No Pay” policy against lecturers involved in the 2022 industrial action.

According to ASUU, lecturers continued research work, postgraduate supervision and community-based academic responsibilities during the strike period, making the policy unfair and damaging to the profession.

“Withholding salaries of university lecturers on account of ‘no work, no pay’ is like reducing scholars to menial workers whose livelihood is anchored in physical appearances at their worksite,” he added.

ASUU also raised concerns about pension administration for retired academics, accusing pension authorities of delaying harmonisation of benefits.

The union alleged that some state universities still operate without functional pension structures for staff, worsening retirement insecurity among lecturers.

What makes this more complex is ASUU’s fresh criticism of university governance practices.

The union expressed concern over appointments allegedly made outside established academic procedures, including the emergence of titles such as “Professor of Practice” and “Diaspora Professors.”

According to ASUU, some of these appointments bypass university senates and governing councils.

“In the process, people with doubtful academic credentials find their way into the university system and some even rise to become vice chancellors,” the union alleged.

That framing leaves out another important concern facing the education sector: Nigeria’s growing struggle to retain qualified academics.

Low wages, delayed salaries and unstable university calendars have contributed to increasing migration of lecturers to foreign institutions, particularly in the UK, Canada and parts of the Middle East.

Education analysts warn that another prolonged ASUU strike could further damage public confidence in Nigeria’s university system at a time when youth unemployment and economic pressure are already rising.

The real concern now is whether both sides can resolve implementation disputes before tensions escalate into another nationwide shutdown. For millions of students and families already dealing with inflation and economic hardship, another prolonged university strike could carry consequences far beyond the classroom.