By Oluwatoyin Makinde
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that it may resume a nationwide strike if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands at the end of its one-month ultimatum.
Addressing journalists in Kano on Tuesday, the ASUU Zonal Coordinator for Kano Zone, Dr. Abdulkadir Muhammad, said the union was alarmed by what it described as the government’s sluggish handling of renegotiation processes meant to revitalise the public university system.
Muhammad said the lecturers suspended their warning strike in October to create an enabling environment for dialogue, but expressed disappointment that “our hope for a holistic and timely resolution of the issues is increasingly being dashed.”
He spoke after a zonal meeting attended by representatives from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bayero University, Kano; Kaduna State University; Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil; Federal University Dutse; Northwest University, Kano; and Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa.
Citing a report from ASUU’s National Executive Council meeting held on November 8 and 9 at Taraba State University, he said the union was dissatisfied with the “slow pace of ongoing renegotiation,” insisting that it had become a major obstacle to meaningful progress.
Muhammad accused some government functionaries of employing tactics to “undermine the process and misinform the public,” arguing that the administration had shown no genuine commitment to improving lecturers’ welfare or addressing conditions that fuel brain drain.
In a separate briefing, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Benin Zone, Professor Monday Igbafen, also criticised what he called the “deliberate distortion” of key issues under negotiation.
He accused the Minister of Education and other senior government officials of “insincerity,” warning that their approach continues to jeopardise the chances of resolving long-standing grievances in the university system.
ASUU’s demands centre on improved welfare for academic staff, full implementation of previous agreements, and provision of a conducive environment for teaching and learning.
The union has not yet announced a date for a possible shutdown but insists that the government must act before the ultimatum expires.
