ASUU starts indefinite strike at three universities in Lagos

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has started an indefinite strike at three universities owned by Lagos State. This strike is due to the government's failure to meet the union’s demands.

The universities affected are Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH).

The ASUU Joint Campus Group representing these universities announced the strike in a statement on Tuesday. This followed a 14-day ultimatum given to the state government on August 31, which ended without any resolution.

The union said its final warning on September 10 also did not lead to any talks with the government. The deadline of September 13 passed without any dialogue.

ASUU is asking for the implementation of the December 2025 agreement reached with the Federal Government in these three universities. The union wants the provisions to be domesticated and fully enforced.

The issues include the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and welfare provisions for both serving and retired academic staff.

ASUU mentioned it made this decision “with a heavy heart,” pointing to the potential impact of the strike on the academic calendar and the university community.

The union urged students to stay calm, peaceful, and law-abiding while efforts are made to resolve the dispute.

It also recognized the worries of parents and guardians regarding possible disruptions to their children's education.

ASUU clarified that the strike is not against the management of the three universities. The union praised them for their efforts towards implementing the agreement.

The union appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, alumni associations, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to support its demands.

ASUU noted that it had been patient and sought dialogue with the Lagos State Government multiple times. But it accused the government of not acting on the issues, stating that neighboring states have already implemented similar agreements.

The national leadership of ASUU supports the strike and has backed the process leading to this action. The union emphasized that the strike will go on until the Lagos State Government engages with them and fully implements the necessary provisions of the 2025 agreement.

“The union remains fully committed to constructive dialogue and to restoring normal academic activities quickly once these issues are resolved,” ASUU said.

This dispute in Lagos comes at a time when ASUU is also pushing for the implementation of its December 2025 agreement with the Federal Government.

Just before the Lagos strike began, the union warned of a nationwide strike over this issue. They raised concerns about the implementation of the agreement in state-owned universities.

Public universities, managed by both federal and state governments, have faced interruptions in their academic calendars due to repeated ASUU strikes over the years.

These disruptions have hurt the reputation of public institutions. Many parents are now seeking faster graduation options and are willing to pay for private universities or study abroad, where graduation dates are more certain.

But the ASUU crisis affecting public universities has lessened since the landmark agreement made by President Bola Tinubu's administration with ASUU in 2025.

This truce followed the renegotiation of a 2009 agreement, which had been breached by successive federal governments, leading to long strikes across public universities for years.

The new agreement included a 40 percent salary increase for academics and the creation of a National Research Council (NRC) with a statutory funding of at least one percent of the country’s GDP.

Professors are also set to earn a pension equal to their annual salary upon retirement at age 70, according to the agreements reached.

This agreement also promised more university autonomy and academic freedom, along with better funding for universities, including allocations for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment, and staff training.

This agreement was reached after the sixth renegotiation committee completed their negotiations.

Though strikes have decreased across the country since this agreement, many institutions still face local issues that have caused lecturers to stop working. Broader problems like underfunding and poor welfare of lecturers still remain.

Besides the three universities in Lagos, three universities in Ondo State have also been affected by an ASUU strike for weeks. These are Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OAUSTECH), and University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMED).

Over the last few years, many public universities have experienced a brain drain as unresolved problems have caused many lecturers to leave for better opportunities abroad.