The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of failing to fully implement the 2025 FG/ASUU Agreement, warning that the situation could trigger another round of industrial action in public universities.
The union, under its Abuja Zone, said recent claims by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, that the agreement had been fully executed do not reflect realities across federal and state universities.
Speaking at a press conference held at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, on Monday, the Zonal Coordinator, Adamu Al-Abdullahi, said lecturers were still grappling with unpaid entitlements, salary shortfalls, pension challenges and inconsistent welfare packages.
He noted that five months after the agreement was signed, implementation had been uneven and largely uncoordinated.
“It is exactly five months since the agreement was signed, but the claim of full implementation is far from the realities on ground,” he said.
ASUU alleged that the government failed to set up the agreed Implementation Monitoring Committee, leaving universities to apply the terms independently, resulting in what it described as “distorted” execution.
The union further claimed that some university authorities were selectively paying approved allowances, including the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, Earned Academic Allowance and Professorial Allowance.
It also criticised some state governments for allegedly failing to honour the agreement despite being part of the negotiation process.
Beyond implementation concerns, ASUU listed unresolved welfare issues affecting lecturers, including arrears of the 25–35 per cent salary award, promotion arrears, unpaid salaries from the 2022 strike, pension backlogs and unremitted third-party deductions.
The union also faulted the continued application of the “No Work, No Pay” policy against lecturers who participated in the 2022 strike, arguing that academic responsibilities extend beyond physical classroom presence.
“Withholding salaries of lecturers on that basis is unfair and misrepresents the nature of academic work,” Abdullahi said.
ASUU raised additional concerns over delays in pension harmonisation for retired academics and the absence of functional pension schemes in some state-owned universities.
The union also warned against what it described as irregular appointments within the university system, including the introduction of roles such as “Professor of Practice” and “Diaspora Professors” without due process.
It alleged that such practices could undermine academic standards and governance structures in universities.
ASUU’s latest position comes despite government assurances that the 2025 agreement would resolve longstanding disputes over funding, welfare, earned allowances and payroll systems.
Nigeria’s public universities have experienced repeated disruptions over the years due to unresolved disagreements between the government and ASUU, with the union insisting that agreements are often not fully implemented.
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