ASUU, Benin Zone Coordinator, Prof Monday Lewis Igbafe (C), and members while briefing journalists on Thursday, 21 May, 2026. Photo Credit: hilltopnationale.com
• Issue 7-point demand
Kingsley Abavo, Managing Editor
Seemingly, the end to the battle between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government in respect to the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 Agreement now termed: ‘2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement’ is yet to be in sight.
This is as ASUU, Benin Zone has accused the Federal Government of deliberate refusal to honour the ‘2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement.’
ASUU recalled that the Agreement was unveiled on the 14 January, 2026 by the Nigerian State with a lot of fun.
This made members believe it would end years of struggle to renegotiate the 2009 Agreement, and secure lasting industrial harmony in the public Universities, ASUU said.
“At that historic moment, the Nigerian State made solemn promises of full and speedy implementation.”
But unfortunately, the Nigerian State has back pedaled on that promise, ASUU laments.
ASUU, Benin zone coordinator, Prof. Monday Lewis Igbafe (C) leading members in chanting solidarity slogans in spirit of the struggle. Photo Credit: hilltopnationale.com
The Benin Zone of the Union presided over by the Coordinator, Prof. Monday Igbafe on Thursday, 21 May, 2026 addressed the media in Benin.
According to ASUU, at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Yola, the government response was reviewed.
“Our conclusion was clear: unless urgent action is taken, we are being pushed back to the trenches.”
ASUU consequently outlined a 10 – point grievances which it said are ‘vexatious’ as follows:
1. Distorted Implementation of Allowances by the administrators of Federal Universities. This violates the Agreement which clearly states; all allowances must be mainstreamed into the ‘Consolidated University Staff Salary Scale as part of monthly salaries for professors.
2. State Governors’ refusal to comply nearly after five months the Federal Government directed full implementation. Many State Governors who serve as Visitors to State Universities, have refused to act.
3. Failure to Inaugurate the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC). This Committee, ASUU said was meant to shield the Agreement from bureaucratic sabotage. “This vacuum has led to distortions including in the proposed National Research Council.
“Worse still, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa announced plans to establish a National Research and Innovation Development Fund without any consultation with ASUU.
“Even more insulting, the Minister’s proposal mentions N500bn while ignoring the Agreement’s provision for ‘at least one percent of GDP for research, innovation, and development.”
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4. Unresolved Financial Obligations. ASUU accuses FG of remaining insensitive to outstanding issues. “Unpaid arrears of 25-35 percent salary award, promotion arrears, unremitted third party deductions, salary shortfalls from IPPIS errors, and the withheld three and half months’ salary from the 2022 strike.”
5. Policy inconsistencies in Education “The Minister’s abrupt reversal of the mother tongue policy in early childhood education undermines pedagogical evidence and national policy coherence.
6.Unilateral Transnational Education Plans- “The Government’s plan to establish a campus of Coventry University in Nigeria under the Transnational Education framework was made without consultation.”
7. Compulsory enrollment in NERD – “Academics are being forced into the Nigeria Education Repository Data bank without stakeholders consultation.”
Others include:
8. Threat to Scrap Academic Programmes – “The Government has unilaterally announced plans to scrap courses deemed ‘irrelevant’ a move that undermines University autonomy and academic freedom. Most of the courses Government plans to scrap from the University’s system are mainly from the humanities, Igbafe said.
9. Mismanagement of Universities – “We observe irregular appointments, financial misappropriation, and disregard for due process by Government appointed vice chancellors.
10. Land Grabbing in Niger State – The Niger State Government is attempting to forcefully seize the Bosso campus of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
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Flowing from the listed grievances, ASUU resolved and made a 7 – point demand to include:
1. The Union condemned what it termed: ‘partial and non implementation of the salary component of the ‘2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement’. “This is recipe for industrial crisis in our Universities.”
2. ASUU condemned the Edo, Ondo, and Delta State Governments for what it said; failure to implement the Agreement for five months after the Federal Government’s directive. “We urge them to comply immediately or face industrial action on their campuses.
3. ASUU also condemns what it termed: the hijack and derailment of Nigeria’s research and development agenda by external agents and their local collaborators.
4. The Union demands the Niger State Government and the Federal Ministry of Education to cease all actions against the land and property of FUT, Minna.
5. We reject any attempt to arbitrarily scrap academic programmes in Nigerian Universities.
6. ASUU appeals to patriots and lovers of Nigeria to help compel both the State and Federal Governments to fully implement the Agreement and resolve outstanding issues without further delay.
7. Further, it sends the warning; that public Universities face imminent paralysis if the Government continues its old tactics of disrespecting collective bargaining and binding agreements.
Reacting to questions from journalists, Igbafe roared: “How can you remove the humanities? Then you have finished the Universities. What is the Government business in rationalising courses in the Universities?
ASUU views it as the government taking over the responsibility of the Senate of the Universities, he said. “And that is why we are seeing it as an affront to the University’s autonomy.
“So, we are not taking it lightly and we feel strongly that the government cannot come from nowhere and say it is rationalising courses in the Universities.
“The Universities are regulated by their own laws which were made by the government who now are supposed to be the custodian. So we are advising the government to stay clear.”
ASUU warns; if the Government fails to address the outlined grievances within the next few weeks, it cannot guarantee industrial harmony in the Universities.
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