The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has ordered its members across the country to embark on a nationwide strike following the non-payment of June 2025 salaries, citing the union’s standing “No Pay, No Work” policy.
Branches of the union at the University of Jos and the University of Abuja have already commenced withdrawal of services in compliance with the directive, halting lectures and participation in official academic activities.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, confirmed the development in Abuja on Monday. He explained that the action is in line with a resolution by the National Executive Council (NEC) which mandates that members should stop work whenever salary payments are delayed beyond the third day of a new month.
Piwuna blamed the persistent salary delays on the migration of university payroll from the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), noting that the transition has subjected lecturers to avoidable financial hardship.
He disclosed that despite engaging officials from the Ministry of Education and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, there has been no tangible effort from the government to address the issue.
“This delay is not technical, it’s deliberate. The platform is working, but those responsible for releasing the funds are not doing their jobs,” Piwuna stated.
The ASUU president added that the strike action would be replicated in all federal universities that have not received June salaries. According to him, the directive remains in force and binding on all affected branches.
At the University of Jos, ASUU branch chairman Dr. Jurbe Molwus confirmed that members had ceased all academic duties, in line with the NEC decision. He stressed that the union would continue to enforce the resolution until salary payments are regularised.
Similarly, members of ASUU at the University of Abuja have also withdrawn their services, though confirmation from the branch chairman, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, was not immediately available. University spokesperson Dr. Habib Yakoob declined to comment, directing inquiries to the union leadership.
Professor Piwuna further warned that unless the outstanding ₦10 billion in Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) is paid without delay, the union may be forced to escalate its industrial action.
He noted that while ₦50 billion was approved for EAA payments, only ₦40 billion has been disbursed so far.
“We hope the remaining ₦10 billion is paid promptly to avoid another round of confrontation,” he said.
ASUU insists the federal government has no justification for the continued delays in salary disbursements, describing the situation as a calculated attempt to undermine the academic workforce.