(DDM) – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has convened an urgent meeting of all major public tertiary education unions following the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) announcement of a two-week warning strike.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the industrial action was triggered by the Federal Government’s failure to honor longstanding agreements with university staff.
NLC President Joe Ajaero said the emergency session, set for Monday, October 20, 2025, at the NLC Headquarters in Abuja, is intended to coordinate a joint response and push the government to resolve union grievances promptly.
Representatives from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and research institutes are expected to attend, including the Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, and the National Association of Academic Technologists.
The development underscores persistent instability in Nigeria’s higher education sector, which has repeatedly faced shutdowns due to funding shortfalls, salary arrears, and infrastructure deficits.
Successive administrations have promised reforms, but fiscal constraints, mounting public debt, and rising wage demands have consistently hindered meaningful progress.
ASUU National President Professor Chris Piwuna announced the strike at the University of Abuja on Sunday, citing the expiry of a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28.
The union highlighted unresolved issues, including staff welfare, infrastructure challenges, unpaid salaries, and the full implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
“The struggle for the survival of public education is a fight for the soul of our nation, and we can no longer afford to have our unions stand alone,” the NLC said in its invitation.
Recent negotiations between the government and ASUU failed to avert industrial action, despite Education Minister Tunji Alausa claiming that talks had reached an advanced stage.
The government recently released N50 billion for earned academic allowances and earmarked N150 billion in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment.
ASUU rejected these measures, describing them as inadequate to meet the demands of university staff and secure sustainable funding for higher education.
The union is insisting on full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries, protection against victimization, settlement of promotion and salary arrears, and the release of withheld cooperative and union contributions.
The NLC reiterated its solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, urging union leaders to participate robustly in the emergency session.
The meeting is expected to chart the next course of industrial action while exploring strategies to safeguard staff welfare and ensure continuity of public tertiary education across Nigeria.
Observers note that repeated strikes have deepened public concern over the stability of Nigeria’s universities, affecting students, lecturers, and the nation’s educational development.
The emergency NLC meeting signals a renewed push for accountability and effective implementation of agreements between the Federal Government and tertiary education unions.
