ASUU Declares Nationwide Strike Over Delayed June Salaries
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has initiated a nationwide strike triggered by the government’s failure to pay lecturers their June 2025 salaries. Set under the union’s long-standing “No Pay, No Work” policy, the strike saw branches at the University of Jos and University of Abuja immediately withdraw services, with the rest of the nation expected to follow suit.
The persistent delay in payment of June salaries to federal university lecturers is at the heart of this new strike. ASUU’s National Executive Council, led by President Professor Chris Piwuna, stated that any salary unpaid by the third business day of a new month would trigger a withdrawal of teaching and administrative services. As a result, the University of Jos acted on this rule at 12:01 am on July 4, 2025, while the Abuja chapter followed suit.
Prof. Piwuna described the hardship stemming from the transition from IPPIS to GIFMIS payroll systems, highlighting that salaries have been arriving late, sometimes up to ten days into the next month. He stressed that this isn’t a technical glitch but a deliberate decision by officials in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
He said: “What they are doing is just enforcing a NEC resolution. We have agreed at NEC that our members are going through a lot since our migration out of the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System. Certainly, our salaries are delayed for a week and sometimes 10 days before our members receive the paltry amount we get to help us carry out our duties well.
The strike has rippled across key universities. At the University of Jos, ASUU branch chairman, Prof. Jurbe Molwus confirmed that lecturers have withdrawn from lectures and statutory meetings, inaugurating a monitoring team to ensure compliance. The University of Abuja branch also joined the protest, and the ATBU Bauchi branch activated “active non-compliance,” meaning lecturers are present on campus but refuse to teach until their salaries are paid.
ASUU has thrown additional weight behind the strike by demanding payment of the outstanding ₦10 billion in Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), part of ₦50 billion promised in prior agreements. Only ₦40 billion has been disbursed so far.
The abrupt strike has brought teaching to an immediate halt, leaving students without lectures or supervision. With the ongoing financial strain and now halted academic sessions, much uncertainty hangs over timely graduations and project completions.
Prior to this new one, ASUU strikes have come with steep costs. The 2022 strike lasted eight months, heavily stalling university admissions, graduations, and faculty productivity. While ASUU emphasizes that the strike is a last resort, this is another event that could really damage Nigeria’s educational landscape.
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As of now, official government responses remain quiet. ASUU leaders have reported continuing engagement with the Education Ministry and the Accountant General, but without resolution. The union has insisted the strike continues until salaries are fully paid and the remaining EAA funds released. ASUU’s message is clear: no pay means no work.
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