ASUU Demands Release Of Withheld Salaries, Urges FG To Honour 2025 Agreement
15th August, 2026 | News
ASUU Demands Payment of Withheld Salaries, Implementation of 2025 Agreement
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has renewed its call on the Federal Government to pay withheld salaries owed to university lecturers and resolve other outstanding welfare issues, warning that failure to address the concerns could undermine stability in Nigeria’s public universities.
ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, made the call on Friday, August 14, 2026, during a briefing at the union’s secretariat at the University of Jos in Plateau State.
Piwuna urged the government to urgently implement all outstanding aspects of the December 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria-ASUU Agreement, saying that doing so would restore confidence among academic staff and create a better environment for teaching, research and learning.
Beyond university welfare, the ASUU president expressed concern over Nigeria’s broader socio-economic challenges and called for significant changes in government policies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He urged political parties and candidates to prioritise job creation, poverty reduction, education, economic development and the welfare of citizens instead of relying on temporary measures that fail to address the root causes of hardship.
Piwuna also criticised what he described as poverty-alleviation policies influenced by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. He advocated for more inclusive programmes tailored to Nigeria’s specific economic and social realities.
According to him, governments at both federal and state levels should invest more in agriculture, industrial production, social protection and other productive sectors capable of creating jobs and reducing economic dependence.
He also called for greater accountability in the management of public funds, stronger measures against corruption and the recovery of allegedly stolen public resources. Piwuna further advocated a tax system in which wealthier Nigerians contribute more towards national development.
On education, ASUU called for a comprehensive review of the country’s education system to ensure that it reflects Nigeria’s socio-economic, cultural, technological and developmental needs.
The union stressed the importance of adequately funding research, technical education, agriculture, innovation and skills development, noting that these areas are essential for producing the workforce needed to drive economic growth and reduce unemployment.
ASUU also urged the Federal and State Governments to address the persistent infrastructure and funding challenges facing public universities, warning that sustainable investment is necessary to improve the quality of higher education.
Piwuna maintained that lecturers cannot effectively perform their responsibilities when agreed conditions of service remain unresolved.
He therefore stressed that implementing the outstanding provisions of the December 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, including the payment of withheld salaries, would contribute significantly to restoring industrial harmony and allowing lecturers to concentrate on teaching, research and community service.
With the 2027 elections approaching, ASUU urged Nigerians to carefully examine the policies and programmes of political parties and candidates, particularly their plans for education, employment, poverty reduction, production and social protection.
The union reaffirmed its commitment to engaging the government and other stakeholders in finding sustainable solutions to the challenges facing Nigeria’s university system and the wider society.