ASUU Launches Two‑Week Strike; Government Says Demands Met, Enforces No‑Work‑No‑Pay

When Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) announced a two‑week warning strike on Monday, October 13, 2025, the entire federal university system felt the tremor. The walkout began at 8:00 am West Africa Time in institutions ranging from Federal University Dutse to University of Benin, halting examinations for more than half a million students. The government, led by Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria, says it has met every demand, but the union pressed on, prompting a newly‑issued ‘no work, no pay’ directive that could strip lecturers of wages for the strike’s duration.

Background of the ASUU‑Government Dispute

The friction dates back to the renegotiated 2009 FGN‑ASUU Agreement, a pact that was supposed to smooth out salary arrears, promotion delays and the release of cooperative contributions. Over the past two years, ASUU has repeatedly warned that the agreement’s clauses remain largely unimplemented. In a statement released on October 12, the union listed a seven‑point demand set, including the release of three‑and‑a‑half months’ withheld salaries and payment of 25‑35 percent salary arrears that have been piling up since 2023.

Here’s the thing: the federal government, through the Ministry of Education, claimed in a press briefing that it had already addressed the “low‑hanging fruit” – the three months of salaries and the 2026 budget provision for the 22,535‑naira wage award. Yet the union argued that the deeper issues – promotion arrears stretching over four years and the unfinished 2009 agreement – were still on the table.

Historically, Nigeria has seen three major ASUU strikes: 2009, 2013 and the brief 2022 disruption. The current walkout is the first extended strike since the 2022 episode, and it arrives at a particularly sensitive time – final‑year students were sitting for exams when the strike kicked off.

Details of the Two‑Week Warning Strike

Officially framed as a "warning strike," the action is set to run until Friday, October 25, 2025, unless negotiations produce a breakthrough. The strike’s kickoff was marked by a sudden halt to written examinations at University of Jos, where students reported seeing exam papers left untouched on desks and security personnel ushering them out of halls.

Turn‑by‑turn, the union sent out a list of affected campuses, which includes 43 federal universities across 27 states. The strike hits roughly 500,000 undergraduates and 30,000 postgraduate scholars, many of whom are on tight graduation timelines.

• Resolution of the non‑conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN‑ASUU Agreement.
• Release of three‑and‑a‑half months’ withheld salaries.
• Payment of outstanding 25‑35 percent salary arrears.
• Payment of promotion arrears for over four years.
• Release of withheld cooperative contributions deductions.
• Improved funding for research and infrastructural upgrades.
• Assurance of job security and transparent appraisal processes.

Oddly enough, the union gave the government a "window" of two weeks to address these demands, yet it proceeded with the strike anyway, signalling a deep mistrust of the federal promises.

Government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ Directive

Just hours after the strike began, Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education appeared on Arise News and declared that the federal government would enforce a strict "no work, no pay" policy. He instructed all vice‑chancellors to conduct a physical headcount of academic staff, submit reports distinguishing those present from strikers, and withhold salaries for the latter group.

"There is literally no need for this strike," Alausa said, adding that the government had already cleared the "low‑hanging requests" and would finance the 2026 wage award through the upcoming budget. He also noted that he had been receiving "test messages" from ASUU since Friday, indicating the union's resolve.

The directive is unprecedented in its granularity. Vice‑chancellors must now submit a spreadsheet listing each lecturer’s attendance status, accompanied by a signed attestation. Failure to comply could trigger disciplinary action from the Federal Ministry of Education.

In practice, the policy means that a lecturer who joins the strike could see up to six weeks’ worth of salary withheld – a blow to already strained finances.

Impact on Students and the Academic Calendar

Students are feeling the pinch. At the University of Benin, final‑year medicine undergraduates reported that their practical exams were canceled mid‑session, forcing them to wait for a rescheduled slot that may clash with postgraduate applications.

“We’re stuck in limbo,” one student, Chinedu Okafor, told a local reporter. “If the strike drags on, we might miss the registration deadline for the residency program.”

The ripple effect extends beyond graduation dates. Research projects that depend on lab access are stalled, international collaborations are delayed, and the looming accreditation reviews for several faculties are now in jeopardy.

From a financial perspective, the Ministry estimates that the salary withholding will cost the federal treasury roughly ₦3.1 billion (about $7.9 million) in the short term, but the longer‑term cost of delayed graduations – reduced tax revenue from new graduates – could be far higher.

Reactions and Expert Analysis

Education analysts are split. Dr. Aisha Bello, a senior fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Policy & Development, argues that the "no work, no pay" stance could backfire, deepening the mistrust that has plagued negotiations for years.

"Punishing lecturers for striking sends a dangerous message," Bello said. "It may force the union to adopt more radical tactics, such as an indefinite shutdown, which would cripple the entire higher‑education sector."

Conversely, former Vice‑Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Emeka Nwankwo, praised the government's firmness, noting that "prolonged salary arrears have already eroded morale; a clear consequence for non‑performance may finally push both sides to the table."

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a joint statement urging the government to prioritize students’ academic progression, warning that “the cost of delays will be borne by an entire generation.”

What’s Next?

The clock is ticking. If the two‑week window closes without a settlement, ASUU has hinted it could convert the warning strike into a full‑scale industrial action, which would involve a complete shutdown of teaching and research activities.

Both sides have a scheduled mediation meeting on October 20, 2025, facilitated by the International Labour Organization. Observers hope that the presence of a neutral third party will break the current deadlock.

For now, students brace for more uncertainty, lecturers weigh the financial hit of withheld salaries, and the government watches the strike’s economic fallout with a wary eye.