Tertiary education at risk as ASUU issues 14-day ultimatum to FG

Universities across Nigeria may be plunged into another round of disruption as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its longstanding demands or face imminent strike action.

The union made the decision following a National Executive Council meeting held on Sunday at the University of Abuja.

Chris Piwuna, the national president of ASUU, accused the government of neglecting the university system and failing to honour previous agreements.

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According to ASUU, the Federal Government has 14 days to address the issues raised. Failure to do so, the union warned, would result in a two-week warning strike, to be followed by a total and indefinite shutdown of public universities.

“ At the National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Abuja on the 28th of September, 2025, the Union decried the neglect of the University system and the government’s consistent refusal to heed to its demands.

“Accordingly, ASUU has given the Federal Government of Nigeria an Ultimatum of fourteen (14) days within which to address these issues. If at the end of the fourteen-day ultimatum, the Federal Government fails to address these issues, the Union may have no option but to, first, embark on a two-week warning strike and thereafter, a total and indefinite strike,”

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Top on ASUU’s list of demands are the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, revitalisation funds for universities, settlement of outstanding salary arrears, and a sustainable framework for funding tertiary education.

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, had set up a committee headed by Abel Enitan, permanent secretary of the ministry, to look into a proposal for ASUU in a bid to ensure stability across universities, the committee is yet to make any decision known to the public.