The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the Owerri Zone has warned that it will commence an indefinite strike on 21 November 2025 if the Federal Government fails to address the unresolved issues affecting public universities. The zone is made up of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam; Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO); Imo State University (IMSU); Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU); and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka.
The notice was issued in a statement signed by the Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Dennis Aribodor, during a press briefing at the ASUU–Unizik Secretariat in Awka on Thursday.
Prof. Aribodor explained that the briefing became necessary to notify the academic community, policymakers, and the public that the union’s patience is running out. He recalled that ASUU suspended its two-week warning strike—initially declared on 13 October 2025—five days before its scheduled end date, out of respect for students, parents, the media, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and other stakeholders. The union then granted the government a one-month grace period to resolve all outstanding issues. With only a few days left in that window, he questioned the government’s level of commitment.
According to him, ASUU in the Owerri Zone is deeply disappointed that the government continues to treat education as a commodity rather than a public investment that drives peace, progress, and national development. He noted that the union has reviewed the state of discussions since the suspension of the warning strike and found the government’s proposed salary adjustment unacceptable. He described the offer as inadequate, demoralizing, and incapable of curbing the long-standing brain drain problem that has weakened Nigerian universities for decades.
He further accused government officials of frustrating the negotiation process through misrepresentation of facts and selective implementation of agreements. Aribodor stated that the partial payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the recent release of long-withheld third-party deductions are merely confidence-building gestures, not the real issues under negotiation. Presenting them as major achievements, he said, distorts reality and threatens the integrity of the entire process.
Prof. Aribodor urged the government to use the remaining days of the one-month deadline to address the core demands, especially the need to improve the take-home pay of university lecturers. He emphasized that adequate investment in education is essential for safeguarding the country’s future. Despite claims of financial constraints, he pointed out that government revenues have significantly increased in recent years.
He referenced data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), showing that state governments received ₦3.92 trillion in 2022 and ₦5.81 trillion in 2024—an increase of over 62 percent. The Federal Government’s allocation also rose from ₦3.42 trillion in 2022 to ₦4.65 trillion in 2024, representing more than 70 percent growth. These figures, he argued, demonstrate that the issue is not lack of resources but lack of political will.
ASUU also condemned the fact that Nigerian university lecturers have remained on the same salary structure for 16 years, despite inflation and economic instability.
The Owerri Zone therefore called on traditional leaders, religious bodies, student groups, labour unions, the media, and civil society organizations to pressure the government to act responsibly and ensure that lecturers receive a sustainable wage before the expiration of the grace period.
The union insisted that meeting its demands is the only way to avoid another shutdown of universities. Its minimum expectations include full payment of all outstanding arrears, the 25–35 percent wage award, three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries, promotion arrears, and third-party deductions.
ASUU concluded by reiterating that failure to resolve these issues will force the union to resume its suspended strike in order to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s university system.