The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Ibadan (UI), Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, affirmed on Tuesday that the union’s two-week nationwide warning strike will continue as planned.
Speaking in Ibadan, Afolabi confirmed that union members are fully observing the strike. He expressed frustration over the slow pace at which the government has addressed the union’s concerns.
Afolabi explained that the federal government received the report from a committee set up in September 2024 to review an earlier committee’s findings from 2016. This report was submitted in February 2025, but no significant action has been taken in the ensuing eight months.
He added that despite ASUU’s persistent efforts to engage influential government officials and push for timely implementation, progress has been lacking. The most recent national meeting held on September 28 resulted in a decision to issue the government a two-week ultimatum to sign the draft agreement from the committee. The warning strike was triggered after this deadline passed without resolution.
Regarding the government’s “no work, no pay” stance, Afolabi described it as an unsurprising response but maintained that the government has the authority and financial capacity to finalize the agreement and pay university salaries.
“We as a union do not wish for students to be kept out of school. Our desire is for them to complete their education on schedule and graduate,” he said, urging the government to take action and end the cycle of strikes.
Students expressed concerns over the strike’s impact. Ayobami Lawal, a 300-level student, criticized the government for the recurring strikes, emphasizing the need for better treatment of lecturers who play a crucial role in society.
“When lecturers are well compensated, they perform better and produce quality graduates who contribute positively to the nation,” Lawal stated.
Similarly, Yetunde Adebayo, a 200-level student, highlighted how frequent strikes disrupt students’ academic progress.
“It often takes us a long time just to gain admission, and with these ongoing strikes, our education suffers significantly. Learning would be more effective and enjoyable without these interruptions. The government should prioritize lecturers the way it does politicians,” she urged.
Meanwhile, the federal government has directed vice-chancellors of federal universities to strictly enforce the “no work, no pay” policy against ASUU members participating in the strike. This directive was issued in a circular dated October 13, signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and sent to key educational and government officials.
The Ministry of Education expressed dissatisfaction over the continuation of the strike despite multiple calls for dialogue and warned that non-compliance with labour laws would no longer be tolerated.
In a statement following its National Executive Council meeting, ASUU decried the neglect of the university system and the government’s persistent refusal to address its demands.
The union also noted that in August 2025, members in federal and state universities held rallies on their campuses to urge the government to resolve the longstanding issues in the education sector, but these efforts yielded no results.
ASUU concluded that both federal and state governments have consistently shown little regard for the education sector and the welfare of university academics.