The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Owerri Zone, has issued a strong warning that its members will resume their suspended strike on November 21, 2025, if the Federal Government fails to resolve long-standing issues within the remaining negotiation window. The announcement was made on Thursday during a press briefing at the ASUU Secretariat, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Addressing journalists, the Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Dennis Aribodor, said the union has exhausted its patience after years of unmet demands and failed commitments from the Federal Government. Flanked by other union leaders, he stated that the zone had “no alternative” but to embark on an indefinite industrial action if the government refuses to utilise the eight days left to engage ASUU meaningfully.
ASUU Owerri Zone comprises five universities: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State University Owerri, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The union said the press conference was necessary to alert the public and stakeholders that time was running out to avert another shutdown of academic activities nationwide.
Prof. Aribodor lamented that Nigerian university lecturers have remained on the same salary structure for 16 years, describing the situation as “dangerous” and unacceptable in the face of rising inflation and economic hardship. He stressed that no government should be comfortable leaving academics on stagnant wages for nearly two decades.
He recalled that ASUU had suspended its two-week warning strike on October 22, 2025, five days earlier than planned, out of respect for students, parents, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and members of the public. According to him, the union expected the government to use the one-month window that followed to resolve all outstanding issues, but “eight days to the end of the window, nothing concrete has been achieved.”
The ASUU leader accused the government of treating education as a commercial product rather than a social investment that guarantees peace, development, and national progress. He said the union has reviewed progress since the warning strike was suspended and has rejected the proposed salary increment put forward by the government, describing it as “an insult” that cannot address brain drain or improve productivity in universities.
Prof. Aribodor further condemned what he called “subtle misrepresentations” by government officials seeking political credit without addressing the core issues. He dismissed the recent part-payment of promotion arrears and release of third-party deductions as mere confidence-building gestures that do not touch the heart of the renegotiation process.
He warned that the Federal Government must not aim to “win the narrative” but must focus on solving the real problems undermining tertiary education. He insisted that the union expects a holistic resolution of all issues, especially the overhaul of salaries and conditions of service for academic staff.
The ASUU leadership also challenged the government’s recurrent claims of poor revenue and economic difficulty. Citing data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), the union noted that state governments received N3.92 trillion in 2022 and N5.81 trillion in 2024, representing an increase of over 62 percent. Likewise, federal revenue rose from N3.42 trillion in 2022 to N4.65 trillion in 2024, marking a 70 percent increase.
According to the union, these figures show clearly that it is “the political will, not lack of funds,” that has stalled the renegotiation process. The group insisted that no government should be at ease while lecturers have endured stagnant wages for 16 years amid harsh economic realities.
ASUU Owerri Zone called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, students, the Nigeria Labour Congress, civil society groups, and the media to mount pressure on the Federal Government to act responsibly within the days remaining before November 21. The union demanded 100 percent payment of all outstanding arrears, including the 25–35 percent wage award, withheld salaries of three and a half months, promotion arrears, and outstanding third-party deductions.
The leadership concluded by stating that these demands remain the minimum steps required to avoid the resumption of a nationwide academic strike, warning that industrial harmony in Nigeria’s public universities now depends entirely on the government’s next move.
