The Academic Staff Union of Universities has warned that a nationwide strike may resume if negotiations with the Federal Government fail to yield results before the expiration of its one-month ultimatum.
ASUU Kano Zonal Coordinator, Abdulkadir Muhammad, issued the caution on Monday during a news conference in Kano following the zone’s meeting. The lecturers had suspended a warning strike in October, giving the government a month to address their demands, which focus on improving welfare and ensuring a conducive teaching and learning environment.
Muhammad expressed frustration over what he described as the slow pace of renegotiating critical agreements intended to revitalise Nigeria’s public university system. The zonal meeting included representatives from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bayero University Kano; Kaduna State University; Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil; Federal University Dutse; Northwest University, Kano; and Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa.
The warning follows a report presented at ASUU’s National Executive Council meeting held on November 8 and 9 at Taraba State University. The council expressed dissatisfaction with the sluggish progress of talks between the union and the government, describing it as a major obstacle to reaching a meaningful resolution.
“The suspension of our strike in October was intended to create a conducive environment for negotiations and as a gesture of goodwill toward Nigerians,” Muhammad said. “Yet our hope for a timely and comprehensive resolution is increasingly being undermined. It is disheartening that some government officials employ tactics that hinder the renegotiation process and mislead the public about the true state of our engagements.”
He added that the government has yet to demonstrate genuine commitment to enhancing lecturers’ welfare or addressing the conditions driving brain drain within the university system. “What has been offered so far will neither improve working conditions for academics nor attract scholars from abroad to our universities,” he said.
Muhammad also refuted claims by some government officials suggesting that ASUU’s demands have been met. He further called on the Federal Government to impose a moratorium on the establishment of state universities, similar to that applied to federal institutions. “Many governors establish universities in their states without ensuring adequate funding, creating further strain on the system,” he noted.
