The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of failing to fully implement the 2025 FG/ASUU Agreement, barely five months after both parties signed the deal aimed at restoring stability in Nigerian public universities.
Speaking during a press conference at Nasarawa State University on Monday, the ASUU Abuja Zone Coordinator, Adamu Al-Abdullahi, said lecturers across federal and state universities were still grappling with unpaid entitlements, salary shortfalls, pension-related issues and irregular welfare payments.
The union’s reaction follows recent claims by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, that the agreement had been fully implemented.
According to Abdullahi, the reality within universities contradicts the government’s position.
“It is exactly five months since the fanfare that accompanied the signing of the FG/ASUU Agreement after a protracted negotiation spanning eight years.
However, the claim that the FG has fully implemented the agreement is far from the realities on ground in federal universities,” he stated.
ASUU further accused the Federal Government of abandoning the agreed implementation framework and allowing universities to interpret and apply the agreement differently.
The union alleged that the government failed to inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee designed to ensure uniform execution of the agreement and prevent bureaucratic delays.
“The FG has left it to individual universities to implement in a distorted and uncoordinated manner,” Abdullahi added.
ASUU also claimed that some university administrations were selectively implementing approved allowances, including the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, Earned Academic Allowance and Professorial Allowance.
The union criticised some state governors for allegedly refusing to uphold aspects of the agreement despite participating in the negotiation process.
In addition, ASUU highlighted several unresolved welfare issues affecting lecturers nationwide, including arrears of the 25–35 per cent salary award, promotion arrears, withheld salaries connected to the 2022 ASUU strike, unpaid pension contributions and unremitted third-party deductions.
The union also faulted the Federal Government’s application of the “No Work, No Pay” policy against lecturers who participated in the 2022 industrial action, arguing that lecturers continued research and community service activities during the strike period.
ASUU further raised concerns over pension administration, accusing pension authorities of delaying the harmonisation of retirees’ benefits and alleging that some state-owned universities still lacked functional pension schemes for staff.
The union additionally expressed concern over what it described as increasing irregularities within university administration, including controversial appointments and the emergence of positions such as “Professor of Practice” and “Diaspora Professors.”
According to ASUU, some appointments are allegedly being made outside established university procedures and without the approval of university senates and governing councils.
“In the process, people with doubtful academic credentials find their way into the university system and some even rise to become vice chancellors,” the union alleged.
The latest dispute comes despite repeated assurances from the Federal Government that the 2025 FG/ASUU Agreement would resolve long-standing issues surrounding university funding, lecturers’ welfare, earned allowances and the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.
Nigeria’s public university system has experienced repeated disruptions over the years due to prolonged ASUU strikes, with the union consistently accusing governments of failing to honour agreements reached with lecturers.
