The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared Tuesday, August 26, 2025, as a day of nationwide protest across all public university campuses in the country.
In a terse statement posted on its official Facebook page, the union said the protest is to express its frustration over the Federal government’s “persistent neglect” of lecturers’ welfare and longstanding agreements.
“Tuesday, 26th August 2025, has been declared a day of protest across all campuses to express our strong dissatisfaction with the government’s persistent neglect of our demands,” ASUU stated.
The announcement comes amid growing discontent among lecturers over unpaid arrears, poor working conditions, and stalled implementation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, which has been at the centre of repeated disputes between the union and government.
In a statement issued on August 8 by ASUU President Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the union criticized government officials for making promises without action.
Piwuna referenced recent comments by Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who assured Nigerians that “never again” would ASUU or other tertiary institutions’ unions embark on strike. However, ASUU insists that the government’s failure to address critical issues has left lecturers demoralized and underpaid.
“Reports from campuses show that lecturers in Nigerian public universities are struggling. They teach on empty stomachs, research in poorly equipped libraries and laboratories, and work under severe personal and professional hardships,” the statement reads.
The union condemned what it described as “government flip-flops” on agreements and the politicization of university administration, warning that disillusionment among academics threatens Nigeria’s future as a knowledge-driven economy.
Key of the Union’s demands are: Full implementation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement on wages, funding, autonomy, and academic freedom, immediate payment of outstanding promotion arrears and withheld salaries, replacement of controversial payment platforms such as IPPIS with systems designed for university autonomy, transparent and merit-based Vice-Chancellor appointments, increased funding for research and infrastructure in public universities.
ASUU criticized the Federal Government’s initiatives such as the “Diaspora Bridge”, a scheme to attract academics abroad as “hypocritical” given the poor treatment of lecturers in Nigeria.
The union’s planned protest follows years of failed negotiations, multiple Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and repeated industrial actions that have disrupted Nigeria’s university calendar.
Since 2012, ASUU has engaged in multiple strikes over the Federal Government’s failure to honor its commitments, including a 2020 strike lasting over nine months. Despite repeated assurances, lecturers continue to face delayed promotions, underfunded research, and inadequate welfare.