Socialist Labour supports the ASUU’s warning strike for the revival of Nigerian Universities. There are 300 universities in Nigeria with 74 Federal universities, 67 State universities and 156 private Universities. The public universities (74 Federal and 67 State) universities have 2.079 million
(94.5%) of the 2.2 million university students in Nigeria. The 156 private universities only have
0.121 million or 5.5% of Nigerian university students. A few rich Nigerians send their children to the more expensive private universities while the children of the Nigerian ruling class go to foreign Universities. The children of the masses of Nigerian workers, farmers, and self-employed go to public (Federal and State) universities.
For more than 40 years, ASUU has led the fight to save Nigeria’s public universities from complete collapse so that working class youths can have a good affordable university education. ASUU’s demands show its commitment to the right of all Nigerians to a high-quality, publicly funded education.
The Nigerian ruling class do not care for the education of Nigerian youths. Under both military and civilian rule, the Nigerian government has failed to fund public education. At the same time, our corrupt politicians have stolen billions of dollars of our wealth. As a result, our education system is in shambles. Our universities are now a shadow of their former selves. Students are unable to get the quality education they need to reach their full potential. Academic staff cannot conduct the research necessary to improve our society. Most non-academic staff are paid so little that they are unable to make ends meet. Nigeria, under the Tinubu administration, currently budgets about 5% of its spending on education, way below the agreement’s and UN’s recommended levels of 26%.
To reverse this shameful situation, ASUU reached an agreement with the FG in 1992 that would have breathed new life into the Nigerian education system as a whole. The FG failed to honour this agreement. Therefore, ASUU entered into a renegotiated agreement the FG in 1999. The FG failed to honour the 1999 agreement and set up the Prof. Ayo Banjo committee in 2001. A new renegotiated agreement was signed in 2001. The FG failed to honour the 2001 agreement and set up the Deacon Gamaliel Onosode committee in 2006. The Onosode committee submitted its report in 2008 and a new renegotiated agreement was signed between ASUU and the FG in 2009.
But sixteen years later, the FG has failed to implement the 2009 agreement. The FG has convened one committee after another with little intention of seeing the agreement through. In 2017, the Federal Government inaugurated the Wale Babalakin committee to review and renegotiate the 2009 agreement. In 2021, the FG discared the report of the Babalakin committee and inaugurated a new committee headed by Munzali Jibrin. In 2022, the FG discared the report of the Munzali Jibrin committee and inaugurated a new committee headed by Prof. Nimi Briggs. In October 2024, the FG, under President Tinubu, discarded the report of the Nimi Briggs committee and inaugurated a new committee headed by Prof. Yayale Ahmed. In December 2024, the Yayale Ahmed committee submitted a draft report to the FG. The FG refused to act on the Yayale Ahmed committee report. Rather, in August 2025, the Minister of Education inaugurated a new committee headed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary to review it. In response,
ASUU declared an industrial dispute in September, 2025, and gave a 14-Day Ultimatum to FG to be followed by a 2 weeks Warning Strike. In October 2025, the FG started the renegotiation process all over again by setting up Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee (FGTIENC), to be headed by Yayale Ahmed. The ASUU warning strike began on 13th October, 2025.
The demands of the ASUU warning strike are:
- Conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021.
- Funding for revitalization of public universities.
- Stop the victimization of academics in Kogi State University (KSU) and Lagos State University (LASU).
- Release of withheld three-and-half months’ salaries on account of the 2022 strike action and payment of arrears of 25% – 35% salary award for 12 months.
- Release of unpaid salaries of staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments due to the application of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
- Release of outstanding third-party deductions such as pension deductions, check-off dues, and cooperative contributions.
ASUU is fighting in the interest of all well-meaning working Nigerians. A victory for ASUU and the implementation of the 2009 agreement by the FG means that we will be on the path to ending the scourge of millions of children who are out of school. We will revive public education so that parents and children may once again be proud to attend our public schools. We will see an end to ever-increasing school fees that threaten the ability of our youths to get their first degrees. The lives of everyone on our campuses, whether students or staff will be improved. Students will receive the top-quality education they dreamed of, the non-academic staff will have healthy working conditions, ensuring the proper functioning of our campuses, and the faculty will have the resources they need to produce the knowledge to improve society for all.
Socialist Labour calls on all trade unions, student movements, and all progressive forces to stand firmly with ASUU. The struggle of ASUU is the struggle of every worker, every parent, and every student whose future depends on a public system that serves all of us, not the few.
Education is a right, not a privilege! Solidarity with ASUU!
Solidarity forever!.
Dr. James Uanhoro, Dr. Izielen Agbon,
jamesuanhoro@gmail.com, izielenagbon@yahoo.com
Socialist Labour Socialist Labour
