The Academic Staff Union of Universities has issued a four-day ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement the newly approved salary structure for university lecturers nationwide.

The union’s President, Christopher Piwuna, announced the deadline on Thursday during a public lecture at Sa’adu Zungur University, Yuli Campus. The salary agreement was reached in December 2025 and is intended to take effect from January 2026.

Piwuna stressed that failure to commence payments under the new arrangement would trigger a strong response from the union. “We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the Federal Government to begin the payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” he said.

He lamented that the government has a history of reneging on agreements, leading to repeated disputes and industrial actions.

Speaking on plans to establish a branch of Coventry University in Nigeria, Piwuna warned that ASUU would resist the move, describing it as a form of colonialism that could undermine the value and relevance of Nigerian universities. He urged the government to instead collaborate with ASUU to improve local institutions.

Earlier in March, ASUU had directed members in some branches to withdraw services over delays in June 2025 salary arrears and issues with the transition to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

The ultimatum comes amid broader labour unrest, with federal civil servants outside ASUU also threatening nationwide industrial action over unpaid wage awards.