The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abuja Zone, has issued a strong call to the Federal Government to fully implement the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement and release the three-and-a-half months’ withheld salaries of its members, warning that failure to act could trigger another round of industrial action.
The News Chronicle reports that during a press conference on Monday in Abuja, the Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Al-Amin Abdullahi, said the neglect of Nigeria’s university system was a national crisis that threatens the country’s future.
“There is a crisis that is affecting universities in Nigeria, and it is not just a problem for ASUU; it is a problem for the entire country,” Abdullahi said.
“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 of education.”
The union is demanding the payment of promotion arrears, unconditional release of withheld salaries, payment of one year’s arrears of the 25/35 per cent salary award, the implementation of new conditions of service, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as the official payment system for universities.
Prof. Abdullahi expressed deep concern over the persistent underfunding of public universities, noting that “overcrowded classrooms, poorly equipped laboratories, and uninhabitable hostels” have become common features of Nigerian campuses.
He warned that this neglect has created unconducive learning environments and contributed to the decline of Nigerian universities in global rankings.
Abdullahi called for both federal and state governments to comply with the UNESCO benchmark by increasing annual budgetary allocations to education, stressing that prioritizing education was key to national development.
He highlighted ASUU’s commitment to dialogue under the current administration, noting that the union has avoided nationwide strikes for the past two years in the hope of constructive engagement with the government.
Abdullahi cautioned that the lingering issues from the 2009 Agreement, including revitalization of public universities, university autonomy, academic freedom, and a review of regulatory frameworks for bodies like the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remain unresolved.
“Until Nigeria has a university system that assures effective education, excellent research, innovation, and sustainable national development, ASUU will not give up,” Abdullahi said.
The Abuja Zone’s position underscores growing tension within the academic community and raises concerns that unless urgent steps are taken, the country’s fragile stability in the tertiary education sector could once again be disrupted.
