The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, joined the nationwide protest on Tuesday, demanding better salaries, payment of withheld entitlements, and fulfillment of long-standing agreements with the Federal Government.
The peaceful protest, held on the UNIABUJA campus, saw lecturers carrying placards with inscriptions such as “What is good for politicians is good for the people,” “Release third-party deductions,” and “We demand a salary increase, not loans.”
ASUU UNIABUJA Chairman, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, told journalists that academic staff salaries have remained stagnant since 2009, despite agreements mandating reviews every three years.
“The 2009 agreement required salary reviews starting from 2012. Renegotiations began in 2017 and were concluded in February 2025, yet the report has not been signed,” Ugoh said.
He stressed that members are struggling to cope with rising living costs, urging the government to implement the recommendations of the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led committee.
“The academic system is collapsing. Our members are dying in increasing numbers, with 90 percent of deaths linked to stress. A nation cannot grow beyond the strength of its university system,” he warned.
Ugoh also rejected the Federal Government’s loan schemes, insisting on the payment of outstanding entitlements, including three and a half months’ withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and the promised 25–35 percent wage awards.
He further called for greater autonomy for Nigerian universities, arguing that revitalization requires academic freedom and respect for existing laws.
ASUU emphasized that until government acts on its promises, industrial peace in the education sector cannot be guaranteed.
