BREAKING: ASUU Declares Tuesday August 26 Day Of protest Across Campuses
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared Tuesday, August 26, 2025, as a day of protest across the campuses in the country.
ASUU in a terse message obtained THE BEAGLE NEWS stated that the protest is intended to express dissatisfaction with the government over its constant neglect of the union’s demand.
It read, “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.”
Recall that the union leadership under Prof. Christopher Piwuna had issued a statement dated August 8, 2025, reminding the federal and state governments on the need to prioritise lecturers' welfare by paying their arrears and addressing poor working conditions.
The press statement reads in part:
PRESS RELEASE
ACT NOW TO AVERT THE LOOMING CRISIS
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, was recently quoted as saying: “Not again ever in this country will ASUU or tertiary institutions, trade unions, teachers, lecturers go on strike.” He based his optimism on the government’s strategy of “dialogue, maintaining a good relationship with union heads (leaders) and meeting the demands of the unions.” While ASUU shares his optimism about dialogue and relationships, the government needs to move beyond words and act on outstanding issues.
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. Meanwhile, elites blame universities for producing “unemployable graduates” and failing to drive innovative research, leaving lecturers feeling forgotten, shamed, and demoralised by successive governments.
ASUU has repeatedly warned the Federal and State Governments about the dangers of a disempowered, dissatisfied academic workforce. The Union calls for respect for collective bargaining principles under ILO Conventions No. 98 (1949) and No. 154 (1981). Government flip-flops on agreements have created deep distrust, especially with the stalled renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement despite a draft submitted since December 2024.
Every major ASUU dispute since 2012 stems from government failure to honour the 2009 Agreement’s provisions on conditions of service, funding, autonomy, academic freedom, and related legislative reforms. Governments pick and choose which aspects to implement, disregarding lecturers’ morale and essential needs. Efforts to attract academics abroad as “volunteers” under a “Diaspora Bridge” are hypocritical without addressing the foundational issues.
Governments have deceived and frustrated lecturers—pushing them toward strikes, withholding salaries, and promoting corruption-prone systems like IPPIS while punishing those who opt out. Many lecturers’ promotions remain unpaid for years. This undervaluing of intellectual assets undermines hopes for a knowledge-driven economy.
ASUU also condemns the politicisation of Vice-Chancellor appointments, citing attempts to reinstate the Acting VC of Alvan Ikoku University of Education despite questionable promotions. Similar cases are emerging in other federal universities.
ASUU calls on all patriots to press the Federal and State Governments to resolve lingering labour issues in the university system. Nigerian academics are tired of repeated MoUs/MoAs (2013, 2017, 2019, 2020) and prolonged negotiations on the 2009 Agreement—now over eight years old. Only a proper Collective Bargaining Agreement that fully addresses welfare and working conditions will avert another industrial crisis. The time to act is now.
