Lecturers in Nigerian public universities have embarked on a two-week strike to protest poor pay and inadequate funding, just weeks after institutions resumed for a new academic year.
Announcing the decision, the president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Chris Piwuna, described the action as “inevitable” due to what he called the government’s persistent failure to honour past agreements and address long-standing demands.
In response, the Nigerian government urged lecturers to reconsider the strike, emphasizing that dialogue remains the best path to resolving the crisis.
Officials also warned that the “No Work, No Pay” policy would apply to striking lecturers, reiterating that the government had already presented a comprehensive offer addressing key issues such as working conditions, governance, and staff welfare, and was awaiting ASUU’s official reply.
ASUU’s history of industrial action stretches back to the 1980s, with agreements in 1992, 2009, and 2013 repeatedly left unfulfilled.
The last major strike in 2022 lasted eight months, severely disrupting academic calendars nationwide before a court ordered lecturers back to work.
