The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has cautioned that a fresh nationwide strike may be unavoidable unless the Federal Government urgently resolves unresolved labour disputes with public university lecturers.

In a Saturday statement from Abuja, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, said lecturers’ morale is “at an all-time low” due to the government’s persistent failure to honour agreements, despite multiple signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Memoranda of Action (MoAs).

Piwuna accused successive administrations of neglecting lecturers’ welfare, noting that many are “teaching on empty stomachs,” struggling with personal and family needs, and working without essential academic resources amid surging living costs. He also faulted the government for ignoring International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 98 and 154 on collective bargaining and failing to finalise the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, despite receiving a draft in December 2024.

He stressed that every major ASUU strike since 2012 has been triggered by breaches of the 2009 agreement covering conditions of service, university funding, autonomy, and academic freedom. The union further decried alleged political interference in vice-chancellor appointments, citing irregularities in the selection of the Acting Vice Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education.

“Nigerian governments have distracted and deceived university lecturers for too long,” the statement read. “They push academics to the point of a strike, and turn around to withhold their salaries… Can such a government claim to uphold democratic culture?”

ASUU urged “all genuine patriots” to pressure federal and state authorities to resolve the outstanding labour issues, warning that “no memorandum or discussion can take the place of a Collective Bargaining Agreement that addresses staff welfare and creates the environment for productive academic work.”