ASUU Mobilises for Nationwide Protest, Warns of Imminent Strike Over 2009 Agreement
ASUU Mobilises for Nationwide Protest, Warns of Imminent Strike Over 2009 Agreement
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Akure Zone, has announced plans to stage nationwide rallies on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, as part of efforts to compel the Federal Government to honour its long-standing commitments under the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday at the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, the Zonal Coordinator, Adeola Oyebisi Egbedokun, said the demonstrations would take place simultaneously across universities, with lectures suspended during the exercise.
He described the rallies as ASUU’s first decisive step after years of patience and dialogue, warning that the protests are a prelude to a possible nationwide strike if the government fails to act.
“The National Executive Council (NEC) has given the government until its meeting of August 28 to respond to our demands. Beyond that, we will determine the next line of action. For over two years, we have avoided strikes, but our patience has reached its limit,” Egbedokun stated.
ASUU’s demands include:
Renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
Rejection of the TISSF student loan scheme, which it described as a “debt trap.”
An end to the proliferation of universities.
Improved retirement benefits for professors and other academic staff.
Egbedokun accused the government of neglect and hypocrisy, citing its refusal to implement the Yayale Ahmed report, the poor treatment of retired academics, and unchecked licensing of new universities while existing ones remain underfunded.
“This government has mocked knowledge, insulted scholars, and trampled on the future of the nation. Enough is enough,” he declared, adding that the responsibility for averting a crisis now lies solely with the Federal Government.
He also appealed to stakeholders—including the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), National Assembly, traditional rulers, and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)—to intervene and urge the government to prevent another nationwide shutdown of universities.
“The ball is no longer in our court. It is in theirs. They must now choose: justice or judgment, action or upheaval, peace or storm,” Egbedokun warned.
