By Joshua Uti
ASUU Begins Two-Week Warning Strike as FG Enforces ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy
Academic activities across public universities in Nigeria came to a halt on Monday as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) commenced a two-week warning strike to push for the fulfillment of its longstanding demands.
The strike action followed a breakdown in negotiations between ASUU and the Federal Government. It was officially declared in Abuja on Sunday by the union’s National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna.
In response to the industrial action, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, mandated the National Universities Commission (NUC) to collect and submit the attendance records of academic staff across all public universities within seven days. This directive is part of the enforcement of the ‘no work, no pay’ policy.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed strong support for ASUU while condemning the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, for what it described as an attempt to intimidate striking workers through the implementation of the policy. NLC President, Joe Ajaero, criticized the move, insisting it would not resolve the crisis plaguing Nigeria’s public tertiary education system.
Minister Alausa, however, insisted that the Tinubu-led administration had made considerable progress in addressing ASUU’s demands. He cited the release of N50 billion for Earned Academic Allowances and the inclusion of N150 billion in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment, to be disbursed in three phases.
Following the commencement of the strike, Alausa issued a circular instructing vice chancellors to conduct a physical headcount of academic staff and submit detailed reports on those participating in or abstaining from the strike. He further emphasized that salary payments should be withheld from those not performing their duties, in line with labour laws.
The directive exempts members of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), as they are not part of the strike action. The NUC has also been tasked with monitoring compliance and submitting a consolidated report to the Ministry within a week.
In reaction, ASUU President Prof. Piwuna rejected the threats, insisting that the union would not be intimidated. He criticized the minister’s approach, warning against “divide and rule” tactics and reaffirmed ASUU’s commitment to dialogue and resolution of the issues.
NLC President Ajaero also issued a stern warning to the government, stating that the congress would not hesitate to escalate actions if the Federal Government fails to meet ASUU’s demands at the end of the two-week warning strike. He emphasized that the fate of public education is a national concern and pledged the support of the entire labour movement.
In Zaria, the ASUU Chairman at Ahmadu Bello University, Haruna Jibril, confirmed full compliance with the strike directive after a congress meeting, stating that the decision represents the collective stance of the academic staff to push forward their unresolved demands.
