A wave of academic disruptions is spreading across federal tertiary institutions in Nigeria as multiple branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have commenced suspension of lectures and academic duties over the non-payment of June 2025 salaries.
This industrial action comes on the heels of an earlier warning issued by ASUU’s national president, Professor Chris Piwuna, who declared that the union would enforce a strict “no pay, no work” stance against the Federal Government in the event of any delay in salary disbursements.
As of this week, academic staff across several public universities have yet to receive their June pay, prompting widespread unrest. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has also raised similar concerns. In a statement released late Sunday, the union threatened to initiate strike action should the government fail to release their outstanding salaries promptly.
Confirming the development at the University of Jos, ASUU branch chairman Dr. Jurbe Molwus announced the formal withdrawal of services by union members due to the continued delay in salary payments. Molwus emphasized that this action aligns with the directive of ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC), which mandates branches to halt all academic services if wages are not received by the third day of the month. This resolution was further endorsed by a congress meeting held at the university.
“As of now, our members have ceased all lecture activities and are refraining from attending statutory academic meetings,” Molwus stated. He further clarified that any future delays beyond the third day of the month would trigger automatic withdrawal of services from ASUU members. A strike monitoring committee has also been activated to enforce full compliance.
In Bauchi State, academic staff at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University have also ceased campus activities in response to a directive from the institution’s ASUU branch. The branch chairman, Dr. Angulu Haruna, accused the Federal Government of deliberately delaying their salaries, noting that while most government employees are paid promptly, university staff are often excluded from monthly disbursements.
Haruna explained, “Typically, our wages are delayed until the following month’s first week, and yet, other government agencies are paid on time. We have been told repeatedly that these delays are due to the transition from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), but it is becoming evident that this excuse is no longer acceptable. It’s a clear case of discriminatory treatment.”
In the Federal Capital Territory, skeletal academic activity was observed at the University of Abuja, where many lecturers opted to remain off-campus due to the continued withholding of their salaries. An insider from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria also disclosed, under anonymity, that the overwhelming majority of academic staff have resolved to observe the NEC’s directive and halt academic responsibilities until the June 2025 salaries are paid in full.
The ongoing impasse between academic unions and the Federal Government raises concerns about the sustainability of uninterrupted academic calendars across Nigeria’s higher education system. Both ASUU and ASUP have called for immediate intervention and transparent communication regarding the recurring issues of delayed payments and alleged discrimination in salary disbursements.
