The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared another strike — a two-week warning action that could lead to a full shutdown of Nigeria’s public universities if urgent steps are not taken by the Federal Government. The announcement, made on Wednesday after a National Executive Council meeting at the University of Abuja, has once again thrown students, parents, and education stakeholders into anxiety and uncertainty.
For many Nigerians, this development is a familiar and frustrating story. It is the same accusations, the same government promises, and the same cycle of disappointment that has long defined Nigeria’s public university system. The ASUU strike, which has now become a recurring feature of the nation’s education calendar, highlights the deep-rooted crisis in funding, governance, and policy implementation that continues to plague the sector.
According to ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the union’s grievances are not new. He said the government had failed to address long-standing issues, including the revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances, completion of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-Federal Government agreement, withheld salaries, and the implementation of improved welfare conditions for lecturers. Professor Osodeke said the two-week warning strike is a call for the government to act before the situation worsens.
For more than two decades, ASUU has engaged successive administrations in negotiations over these same matters. From President Olusegun Obasanjo to the current administration, promises have been made and committees set up, but little has changed. Each new government inherits the same unresolved disputes and often responds with temporary measures instead of lasting reforms.
The recurring strikes have left deep scars on the country’s education system. Thousands of students across public universities have seen their academic calendars disrupted repeatedly. Many have spent extra years in school due to prolonged closures, delaying graduation and career plans. For some, the frustration has pushed them into learning trades or seeking opportunities abroad.
Parents, too, are not spared. Each ASUU strike brings renewed emotional and financial stress. Many struggle to keep their children focused or are forced to enroll them in private institutions, where fees are far higher. For lecturers, the strikes mean months of uncertainty, unpaid salaries, and growing resentment. And for the government, every unresolved dispute further erodes public confidence in its ability to manage education effectively.
While some Nigerians accuse ASUU of being too rigid or confrontational, others believe the union’s frustration is justified. Industrial action, they argue, is not the problem but a reaction to government neglect. When peaceful dialogue yields only empty promises, a strike becomes the only remaining option to get attention.
However, ASUU is also being urged to rethink its approach. Many education stakeholders believe the union should complement strikes with stronger public advocacy, collaboration with student unions, and partnerships with civil society groups to highlight the true state of the universities. Transparency in communication, they say, would help Nigerians better understand the reasons behind the union’s agitation and sustain public support for its cause.
On the government’s part, experts insist that it must move beyond token gestures and half measures. Setting up committees or releasing partial funds only delays the inevitable. What is needed, they say, is genuine political will — a commitment to invest in infrastructure, research, and staff welfare. Education should not be treated as charity but as the foundation of Nigeria’s economic and social progress.
The continuous crisis between ASUU and the Federal Government also raises concerns about Nigeria’s readiness to compete globally. While other countries are expanding access to quality education, Nigeria’s universities are struggling with poor facilities, outdated curricula, and frequent disruptions. Without urgent reforms, the nation risks losing more of its young talents to brain drain and declining global relevance.
In the end, the ASUU strike is more than just an industrial dispute. It is a reflection of Nigeria’s unfulfilled promises and a broken system that urgently needs repair. Until the government and ASUU find a lasting solution built on trust and accountability, the country’s universities — and indeed its future — will remain trapped in a cycle of negotiation, neglect, and disappointment.
