University of Ibadan chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that its members will not retreat from the ongoing two-week nationwide warning strike, despite a government directive enforcing the “no work, no pay” rule.
ASUU UI chairman, Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that members of the union remain united in their decision to down tools, accusing the federal government of dragging its feet on longstanding issues.
“We have been duly and constantly carried along in meetings called at the national level, and members have also criticised the slow speed at which the government has been treating the matter,” Afolabi said.
He explained that a committee set up in September 2024 to revisit recommendations made as far back as 2016 submitted its report in February 2025, yet the federal government has failed to act eight months later.
“This means that for eight months, nothing has happened,” Afolabi stated.
According to him, the union has reached out to individuals believed to have the government’s ear but has received little response.
He said the final straw came at a national meeting on September 28, where ASUU resolved to issue a two-week ultimatum for the federal government to sign the draft agreement submitted by the committee.
“If nothing is done within the stipulated time, the warning strike will begin. All these were stated clearly to the government,” he said.
Reacting to the federal government’s directive that striking lecturers would not be paid, Afolabi dismissed the warning as an old tactic.
“The ‘no work, no pay’ threat is not new to us. We’ll survive it, eventually,” he said.
“What we expected from the government was action—signing the agreement and funding the universities, which is the crux of the issue.”
He expressed disappointment at the government’s approach, adding: “It’s unfortunate that that’s the type of response we get from the government. We don’t take joy in keeping students out of school. Our joy is for them to complete their education on time and graduate.”
*Students speak: ‘This is unfair’*
Several students at the University of Ibadan also shared their frustrations over the industrial action, placing the blame squarely on government inaction.
Ayobami Lawal, a 300-level student, described the frequent disruptions as a disservice to both students and lecturers.
“When lecturers are well paid, they perform better and produce quality graduates who impact society positively,” he said.
Another student, Yetunde Adebayo, in her second year, highlighted the emotional and academic toll the strikes have taken.
“Do you know it took some of us a long time to gain admission? Now, add these strikes to the delay—it’s just not right,” she said. “The government should treat our lecturers with the same urgency as they treat politicians.”
*FG clamps down on ASUU with ‘no work, no pay’ policy*
In a swift response, the Federal Government issued a circular, dated October 13 and signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, directing vice-chancellors of all federal universities to enforce the “no work, no pay” policy against participating ASUU members.
The directive was also sent to key government offices, including the Head of the Civil Service, the Budget Office, and the National Universities Commission, stating that government would no longer tolerate what it called “non-compliance with extant labour laws.”
In its earlier statement following a National Executive Council meeting, ASUU accused the federal and state governments of neglecting Nigeria’s university system and consistently refusing to address core issues despite repeated engagements.
“Nothing came out of all these rallies and pleas,” ASUU said.
“What is clear for now is that both the federal and state governments have a strong habit of paying little or no attention to the education sector in general and the welfare of university academics in particular.”
NAN
