The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the federal government that “it will take action if lecturers’ salaries are not fully implemented in line with the 2025 agreement by the end of March”.
In an interview with TheCable, ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, said the union expects full payment of salaries, including all agreed allowances, by the month end.
He stressed that members are growing weary of delays.
The ASUU boss clarified that contrary to reports suggesting a four-day ultimatum, the union merely referred to the remaining days in the month as a reasonable timeline for compliance on the issue.
He noted that ASUU follows laid-down procedures before embarking on any industrial action.
Piwuna explained that “although lecturers have recorded some changes in their salaries since January, the implementation remains incomplete”, with key components of the agreement yet to be fully reflected in payments across federal universities.
He said the lingering gaps affect several categories of lecturers, particularly those on “sabbatical and visiting appointments”, who in some cases are not paid in full due to funding constraints in host institutions.
The ASUU president further disclosed that critical elements such as the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), which were supposed to be mainstreamed into salaries, “have not been fully paid”, while implementation of other allowances remains inconsistent.
According to him, the union is insisting on full compliance with the agreement reached with the government in December 2025, “which includes a 40 per cent increase in allowances, improved salary structure, and enhanced welfare provisions for academic staff”.
He also identified delays in the passage of the national budget as a major factor responsible for the funding challenges affecting universities, accusing the government of shifting focus to political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We are tired of waiting… our own interest is the full implementation of the 2025 agreement,” he said.
Piwuna said the absence of a clear and timely budget framework has made it difficult for universities to access funds, thereby complicating salary payments and implementation of agreed benefits.
He noted that beyond salaries, the 2025 agreement also contains provisions for the establishment of a national research council, improved funding benchmarks for education, and a N30 billion stabilisation fund to be disbursed over three years to address financial shortfalls in universities.
The ASUU president, however, lamented that “progress on these commitments has been slow, with little indication that the government is moving decisively to meet the agreed targets”, including incremental increases in education funding toward 25 per cent of the national budget.
He warned that if the government fails to ensure full payment of salaries and implementation of the agreement by the end of March, “the union will respond in line with its established procedures”.