ASUU Declares Two-Week Total Strike as Unpaid Allowances and ₦1.3 Trillion Revitalization Funds Stall Again

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a two-week warning strike beginning at midnight on October 13, 2025, following the expiration of its 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government.

The union says the government’s persistent failure to honor long-standing agreements on earned academic allowances, revitalization funds totaling over ₦1.3 trillion, and the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement has left lecturers with no choice but to resume industrial action.

In a video clip circulating widely on X (formerly Twitter), ASUU’s spokesperson described the action as “total and comprehensive,” emphasizing that members across all public universities would withdraw from teaching, supervision, and other academic duties.

He urged students, parents, and civil society groups to rally behind the union’s push for genuine reform, warning that Nigeria’s higher education system faces collapse without urgent intervention.

This strike marks the latest chapter in ASUU’s decades-long struggle with the government — a cycle that has crippled the nation’s academic calendar since 1999, delaying graduations for millions of students.

According to UNESCO estimates, the 2022 eight-month strike alone disrupted the studies of over 2 million undergraduates, with ripple effects on national productivity and youth employment.

ASUU’s demands remain rooted in the need for better funding, improved infrastructure, fair remuneration, and autonomy for universities. However, the Federal Government maintains that it has met parts of the union’s requests and accuses ASUU of being inflexible.

A reconstituted negotiation committee has reportedly made little progress, prompting growing frustration within academic circles.

Reactions on social media reflect the emotional fatigue Nigerians feel toward the recurring standoffs. Final-year students lament the looming uncertainty over their graduations, while others — weary from academic pressure — jokingly describe the strike as a “well-deserved break.” Yet beneath the humor lies collective frustration over a system that seems trapped in perpetual conflict.

For many, ASUU’s renewed action is not just a strike — it is a desperate plea for Nigeria to prioritize education. As the midnight deadline approaches, campuses nationwide brace for silence once again, and students are left to wonder whether the promise of a stable academic future will ever be fulfilled.

Watch the video below