Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) on Tuesday joined a nationwide protest, calling for improved salaries and the release of outstanding welfare payments.
The union also pressed for the full implementation of agreements with the Federal Government, which they claim have been ignored since 2009.
The peaceful demonstration took place on the university campus, with members displaying placards bearing messages such as “What is good for politicians is good for the people,” “Release third-party deductions,” and “We demand a salary increase, not loans,” according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
ASUU Chairman at the University of Abuja, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, highlighted the stagnation of academic staff salaries since 2009, despite an agreement mandating reviews every three years.
“The 2009 agreement stipulated a salary review starting in 2012, but the renegotiation only began in 2017 and was finalized in February 2025, yet the report remains unsigned,” Ugoh told journalists during the protest.
He urged the government to act on the recommendations of the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led committee, warning, “The academic system is collapsing, and our members are struggling to survive amid rising living costs.”
Ugoh expressed frustration with unfulfilled government promises, stating, “We’ve been patient with this administration for two years, but we’ve seen no movement. Promises have been made, but none fulfilled.”
He also rejected proposed loan schemes, emphasizing, “We don’t need loans. Pay us our three and a half months’ withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and the 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage awards.”
Additionally, Ugoh called for greater university autonomy, arguing, “Revitalizing our universities requires academic freedom and respect for extant laws. If we want economic, scientific, and technological development, we must empower our university system.”
He underscored the dire situation, noting, “Our members are dying in increasing numbers, with 90 per cent of those deaths being stress-related. No nation can grow beyond the strength of its university education system.”
