MAKURDI, Nigeria — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared an indefinite strike at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, over the alleged non-payment of workers’ salaries.
The university’s ASUU chapter reportedly announced the industrial action after concerns over unpaid wages remained unresolved. The union is demanding immediate payment of outstanding salaries before academic activities can resume fully.
The decision has raised fresh concerns about the impact of salary delays on the university community, particularly lecturers and other academic workers who depend on their monthly earnings to meet their financial obligations.
The union said the strike would remain in effect until the outstanding salary issues are addressed. The development could affect lectures, examinations, research activities and other academic programmes at the institution if the dispute persists.
The industrial action also places additional pressure on the university authorities and relevant government agencies to resolve the financial challenges affecting staff payments.
ASUU has consistently maintained that regular payment of salaries and improved working conditions are essential to maintaining stability within Nigeria’s university system. The union has previously resorted to industrial action when issues involving salaries, funding, conditions of service and other agreements with government authorities remained unresolved.
At Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, the latest dispute is centred on the reported accumulation of unpaid salaries, with the university’s lecturers seeking urgent intervention to resolve the situation.
Students could also be affected if the strike continues, as academic activities may be disrupted and the academic calendar potentially extended. Such disruptions could create additional difficulties for students preparing for examinations, completing academic requirements or graduating within scheduled periods.
The development comes amid broader concerns over the financial pressures facing some public universities across the country. University workers and their unions have repeatedly called for improved funding and timely payment of salaries to prevent disruptions to academic activities.
The ASUU chapter is expected to continue engaging the university management and other relevant authorities over the salary arrears. A resolution could pave the way for lecturers to return to classrooms and for normal academic activities to resume.
However, if the dispute remains unresolved, the strike could continue to affect the institution’s operations and students’ academic programmes.
Stakeholders are expected to intensify efforts to find a solution to the disagreement, with students and members of the university community likely to bear the consequences if the impasse persists.
The union’s central demand remains the payment of outstanding salaries, stressing that academic activities cannot proceed normally while lecturers are owed their earnings.
Authorities are therefore under pressure to address the financial issues and reach an agreement with the lecturers to bring the industrial action to an end.
