The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has escalated pressure on the Federal Government, issuing a fresh four-day ultimatum over the delayed implementation of a new salary structure for university lecturers—raising renewed fears of another nationwide strike.
ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, said the deadline, which began Thursday, is a response to what the union describes as repeated government delays in honouring agreed terms. He stressed that lecturers expect immediate action on the salary package approved after months of negotiations.
The agreement, reached in December 2025, was originally expected to take effect from January 2026, but implementation has yet to commence, prompting growing frustration within the academic community.
Piwuna warned that failure to meet the deadline would trigger a “strong response” from the union, signalling the possibility of industrial action that could disrupt academic activities across public universities.
Beyond salary concerns, ASUU also used the platform to push back against a reported plan to establish a branch of Coventry University in Nigeria. The union argued that such a move could weaken the country’s higher education system, describing it as an indirect form of external influence on local academia.
According to the union, Nigeria should instead prioritize strengthening its own universities through improved funding, better working conditions, and sustained collaboration with stakeholders.
The latest ultimatum adds to a history of strained relations between ASUU and the government, with repeated agreements often followed by implementation delays—fueling a cycle of warnings, negotiations, and occasional strikes.
With the deadline ticking, attention now turns to the Federal Government’s response, as the outcome could determine whether Nigerian universities remain open—or face yet another disruption.