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•Says tertiary institutions loan poisoned chalice, unacceptable
From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of deliberate foot-dragging and piecemeal handling of long-standing issues affecting public universities, warning that another round of industrial action may be inevitable if urgent steps are not taken.
The union dismissed the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Loan Scheme offered by the Federal Government as a poisoned chalice and unacceptable distraction and called for immediate signing and implementation of renegotiation agreement to avoid industrial action.
ASUU will commence a peaceful mass protest nationwide from today to press home their demands.
Speaking at a press conference at the University of Ibadan ASUU Secretariat in Ibadan, Zonal Coordinator, Professor ‘Biodun Olaniran, said the relative peace in Nigerian universities in recent months was largely due to the union’s patience and expectation that the government would honour its promises. However, he noted that no meaningful progress had been recorded.
“ASUU members are increasingly frustrated with government’s delay tactics, the so-called ‘keep them talking’ syndrome. Even a goat, when pushed to the wall, will eventually react.”
The union highlighted several outstanding demands, including renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, sustainable funding and revitalization of universities, restoration of university autonomy, payment of withheld salaries, arrears of promotions, and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).
Olaniran lamented that despite a draft agreement reached in 2021 with the government’s own renegotiation committee, authorities have refused to sign and implement the document. He added that the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed report, submitted in February 2025, which addresses all contentious issues, is also being ignored.
On funding, ASUU faulted the Tinubu administration for allocating just 7 percent of the 2025 national budget to education, far below the UNESCO-recommended 15–26 percent. “Our universities are plagued by underfunding, decaying infrastructure, poorly equipped laboratories, and deplorable hostels. None of our public universities rank among the top 1,000 globally,” he said.
The Ibadan Zone also condemned what it described as the victimization of ASUU members at Lagos State University (LASU), Kogi State University (KSU), and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), where union leaders face trumped-up charges and illegal withholding of salaries.
On university autonomy, the union decried the unlawful dissolution of governing councils, imposition of political appointees, and the erosion of Senate powers through the National Universities Commission’s centralised curriculum.
ASUU further demanded the release of the three and a half months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 strike, as well as arrears from the 25–35 percent wage award announced by the government but yet to be implemented.
The union also accused the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) of fraud, citing unremitted third-party deductions and the non-payment of promotion arrears for over four years in many universities.
Concluding, Olaniran urged Nigerians to prevail on the government to act decisively, stressing that lecturers can no longer accept endless delays.
“We are peace-loving, but we will not continue to watch our members’ welfare sacrificed to the government’s delay tactics. Another crisis in the university system can only be prevented if the Federal Government honours its commitments,” he said.
The Ibadan Zone of ASUU comprises the University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osun State University, Kwara State University, and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo.
Meanwhile, the Calabar Zonal coordinator of the union, Mr. Ikechuku Igwenyi, at a news conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, has said ASUU viewed the proposed loan scheme as a distraction and an attempt to impoverish members instead of honouring the 2009 agreement.
He said the union was not consulted and its inputs not considered in establishing the tertiary support loan scheme.
He said the loan conditions are stringent as even professors in the universities cannot repay N10 million loan in 48 months if they access it.
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“They have succeeded in imposing NELFUND on the system and trapped students in a slavish loan that will cage the future of our children.
“And having succeeded, they have turned around to tie the hands and brains of their parents with this impossible loan scheme.
“We, therefore, make bold to reject the tertiary institutions staff support loan and everything it represents, because it is more or less a poisoned chalice.”
He disclosed that government had invited the leadership of the union for dialogue on August 28 to discuss the issues affecting ASUU and the universities.
He said the outcome of the meeting will have consequences and will determine the stability of the universities in the country.
“We are underpaid and living in misery with multiple records of death and sick lecturers in our branches. The salary structure used to pay Nigerian University workers is presently about 17 years old and out of tune with current economic realities.” He said universities and institutional structures have become obsolete, dilapidated, weak and inadequate for effective learning.
Igwenyi attributed all these to inadequate funds for revitalisation.
The Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Abuja Zone, Prof. Al-Amin Abdullahi at a separate news conference explained that the union had entered into a renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between the federal government and ASUU, adding that it was concluded in December 2024 but yet to be signed and implemented.
According to him, the FGN reached an Agreement with our union in 2009, famously called the FG/ASUU 2009 Agreement. Almost 17 years after this agreement was signed, its provisions were only partially implemented.
“After years of pressure, insistence and industrial actions, the FG reluctantly agreed to commence the renegotiation of the Agreement due since 2012 in 2017.
He added that neglecting proper funding for educational institutions had resulted in un-conducive learning environments and a decline in the global ranking of Nigerian universities among others.
Abdullahi said in keeping with the UNESCO convention, ASUU demanded that both federal and state governments make education a priority through increased annual budgetary allocations.
He said the union since the inception of the present administration had used the practice of dialogue to resolve their differences with the government over their demands.
He noted that the use of dialogue had made it possible that in the past two years there had not been any general ASUU strike.
He reiterated that the union in Abuja was demanding the payment of promotion arrears of its members, unconditional release of their three and half months withheld salaries, release of third-party as well as deductions to union and cooperatives.
”We are also asking for the payment of one year arrears of 25 /35 per cent salary award to our members, implementation of the new conditions of service and the adoption of TITAS (UTAS) as payment system for universities.
Abdullahi disclosed that there was a crisis affecting universities in Nigeria, adding that it was not just a problem for ASUU, but a problem for the entire country.
“The purposeful mortgage of a nation’s future and the endangerment of generations yet to be born is the result of a nation’s disregard for education.
“Until Nigeria has a university system that assures effective education, excellent research, innovation, and sustainable national development, ASUU will not give up,” he said.
