The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has authorised branches at 20 Nigerian universities to issue 14-day ultimatums to their institutions before proceeding on strike, over the non-implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
The decision was reached at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9, 2026. ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, disclosed the resolutions in a statement issued on Monday, August 10.
“Consequently, NEC resolved that permission be granted to the following branches that have approached NEC for an action, to institute the procedures to embark on strike in order to press home their demands. This is to be preceded by the issuance of a 14-day ultimatum,” Piwuna stated.
According to the resolutions, NEC expressed concern over what it described as the “haphazard” implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement and the Federal Government’s failure to release the subvention needed for full implementation. The union also faulted visitors to several state-owned universities that had yet to implement the agreement, and directed that upon the expiration of the ultimatums, affected branches should proceed to strike to press home their demands.
The 2025 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government was signed on December 23, 2025, and was scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026, addressing key issues including welfare, funding and university governance.
Among the universities named in the resolution are Nasarawa State University, Keffi; Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai; University of Medical Sciences, Ondo; Gombe State University; Plateau State University; Adekunle Ajasin University; Adeyemi Federal University of Education; Abia State University; Imo State University; Niger Delta University; Taraba State University; University of Africa, Toru-Orua; Bayelsa Medical University; Ambrose Alli University; and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, among others.
ASUU also noted that branches in the Sokoto Zone had already issued similar two-week ultimatums independently of the latest NEC directive.
While the 14-day ultimatums are only now being issued at many of the affected institutions, ASUU chapters at two universities have already moved beyond that stage. The union’s branch at Imo State University (IMSU) declared a total and indefinite strike on Monday, August 10, citing the state government’s failure to implement the agreement despite nearly eight months passing since it was scheduled to take effect. IMSU branch chairman, Stephen Oguji, said implementation had commenced in several other state-owned universities including those run by Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun and Sokoto states but not at IMSU, despite repeated engagements with university administration.
Nasarawa State University’s ASUU chapter has similarly commenced an indefinite strike over its own unresolved demands.
The dispute follows months of mounting tension between ASUU and federal and state authorities. Since the agreement was signed, several ASUU zones and branches including chapters at institutions in Edo, Ondo, Delta, Kebbi and Enugu states have separately issued ultimatums or warnings over delayed implementation, citing unpaid arrears and inconsistent compliance across the country’s public universities.
ASUU has also used the NEC meeting to reaffirm its rejection of the National Education Repository Databank (NERD) pending clarification on hosting and intellectual property concerns, and to mandate action at federal universities including Universities of Agriculture where salaries had reportedly been underpaid.
The union said an emergency NEC meeting will be convened at the end of August or early September 2026 to review the situation and determine further steps, as pressure builds across the higher education sector over the government’s handling of the agreement.
