The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concern over the continued non-payment of three-and-a-half months’ salaries withheld from university lecturers, as well as what it described as uneven implementation of the agreement reached with the Federal Government in December 2025.
ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna raised the concerns during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu.
According to Piwuna, the union had expected the December 2025 agreement to bring greater stability to Nigeria’s public university system, improve the welfare of academic staff and address some of the longstanding challenges affecting universities.
He, however, said several provisions of the agreement had either not been implemented or were being implemented differently by the federal government and various state governments.
ASUU Demands Payment of Outstanding Salaries
One of the major issues highlighted by the ASUU president was the continued withholding of part of the salaries owed lecturers from a previous administration.
Piwuna said lecturers had been owed seven-and-a-half months of salaries, out of which the government had paid four months.
This, according to him, leaves three-and-a-half months of outstanding salaries yet to be paid.
He described the situation as a major concern for the affected university lecturers and urged the government to resolve the outstanding payment.
Uneven Implementation Of New Salary Structure
Piwuna also raised concerns about the implementation of the new salary structure for university lecturers.
He said some universities were still experiencing difficulties with the implementation, while lecturers in some institutions remained uncertain about receiving their full entitlements.
The ASUU president further alleged that some universities had been forced to embark on industrial action before receiving their salaries.
He also said some institutions had yet to be incorporated into the new salary structure.
State Governments Also Have Obligations
According to Piwuna, the implementation challenges are not limited to the Federal Government.
He noted that state governments also have responsibilities because they control several public universities across the country.
While some states had reportedly started implementing aspects of the December 2025 agreement, he said others had not fully complied, creating differences in the conditions of service across public universities.
Piwuna identified Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, as one of the governors who, according to him, had commenced implementation of the agreement.
He urged other state governments to fulfil their commitments to university workers.
ASUU Says It Is Still Engaging Government
Despite the outstanding issues, Piwuna said ASUU had continued to engage government officials through meetings and correspondence rather than immediately resorting to another nationwide industrial action.
He said the union had engaged the Minister of Education and Senator Larry Tejuosho, who chairs the committee responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Federal Government's agreement with ASUU.
According to him, the union had repeatedly reminded the relevant authorities to take action on the unresolved issues.
ASUU Calls For More Education Funding
The ASUU president also identified inadequate funding as one of the major challenges facing Nigeria's public university system.
He said insufficient funding affects research, infrastructure, staff welfare and human-capital development.
Piwuna called for increased investment in education, arguing that stronger funding would help Nigerian universities improve research and innovation and compete more effectively in the global knowledge economy.
He said governments should work towards allocating as much as 26 per cent of their annual budgets to education.
However, he disclosed that ASUU had accepted a lower benchmark of 15 per cent during negotiations with the Federal Government, recognising that achieving the higher target immediately could be difficult.
According to him, the 15 per cent target could be implemented gradually.
What the December 2025 Agreement Covers
Piwuna said the agreement signed between ASUU and the Federal Government in December 2025 contained provisions covering several areas of the university system.
These include funding for public universities, improved salaries for academic staff, research support and the establishment of mechanisms aimed at strengthening research activities.
He maintained that proper implementation of these provisions would be important for improving the quality and sustainability of Nigeria's university system.
ASUU Seeks Resolution Through Dialogue
The ASUU president reiterated that the union remained committed to dialogue with both Federal and state governments.
He, however, urged the authorities to address the outstanding salary payments, ensure consistent implementation of the December 2025 agreement and improve funding for public universities.
The unresolved issues, according to the union, remain important to the welfare of university lecturers and the broader development of Nigeria's higher education sector.
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