The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that 2025 may see prolonged disputes with the Federal Government if critical issues and unmet expectations remain unresolved. The union criticized the Federal Government's efforts in 2024, describing them as superficial and ineffective in addressing the challenges facing Nigeria’s university system. According to ASUU's Ibadan chapter chairman, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, the uninterrupted academic calendar of 2024 was achieved solely due to the sacrifices of the union, not because the government had resolved the pressing issues.
ASUU accused the government of neglecting its commitments, including providing funding for public universities, addressing arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), paying withheld salaries, and implementing the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS). The union also criticized the government's plan to renegotiate existing agreements and urged it to instead review and sign the Nimi Briggs-led draft agreement. It further condemned the policy setting the age benchmark for university admission at 18, calling it inconsistent and poorly conceived.
ASUU reiterated its demands for the immediate payment of withheld salaries, the release of funding for university revitalization as stipulated in past agreements, and the full implementation of UTAS. It also called for restoring university lecturers’ salaries to the African average, as agreed in 2009, and for abandoning policies aimed at commodifying university education. Instead, ASUU advocated for free and well-funded education, drawing examples from countries like Germany.
The union also rejected proposed tax reforms that would replace the education tax with a development levy, arguing that this would undermine the sustainability of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), a key source of infrastructural funding for public tertiary institutions. ASUU warned that such reforms threaten the survival of the university system, with potentially devastating consequences for Nigeria’s education sector.
ASUU criticized the Federal Government's 2025 education budget allocation of 7%, which it deemed insufficient and far below the internationally recommended benchmark of 15%-20% for underdeveloped countries. The union expressed concern that inadequate funding would worsen infrastructural decay and deepen the challenges facing the education sector.
ASUU cautioned that the government’s continued lack of commitment could lead to renewed industrial action and disruptions in 2025. The union called on its members to remain vigilant and united, prepared to tackle any challenges that may arise. ASUU emphasized the need for the government to prioritize education, address unresolved issues, and take decisive action to avoid another crisis in Nigeria’s university system.
