The members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto State Chapter, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest to demand immediate action from the Federal Government on their long-standing grievances.
The lecturers converged on the ASUU Secretariat at the university premises, carrying placards with inscriptions highlighting their demands.
The union also issued a strong warning to the Federal Government, demanding immediate action on unresolved issues affecting the nation’s public universities or risk a fresh round of industrial action.
They demanded the immediate payment of three and a half months’ withheld salaries, settlement of promotion arrears, implementation of the renegotiated ASUU/FG 2009 agreement, and improved welfare for university lecturers.
Members also lamented that the federal government’s refusal to settle their arrears despite several appeals has continued to demoralise staff and undermine productivity.
The protest brought together members of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), Sokoto State University (SSU), and Shehu Shagari University of Education (SSUES) branches of ASUU.
In a protest letter signed by Prof. Muhammad Nurudeen Almustapha (ASUU Chairperson, UDUS), Dr. Bello Usman (ASUU Chairperson, SSU), and Dr. Shamsudeen Kabir (ASUU Chairperson, SSUES), the union stated that it would no longer tolerate what it described as “government deception and deliberate neglect” of agreements reached with the union.
Addressing members of the union at the Senate building of UDUS, Prof. Almustapha highlighted some of the union’s demands from the Federal Government, including approving and implementing the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed Report on the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
Other demands include the payment of three and a half months of withheld salaries and outstanding promotion arrears from 2018-2024, release of all third-party deductions held by IPPIS amounting to billions of naira.
This is in addition to the payment of outstanding 25-35% salary arrears and provision of a sustainable framework for funding and revitalising public universities.
The union also demanded an end to the alleged victimisation of ASUU members at LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO, among others.
ASUU warned that the government’s failure to act on these demands would leave it with no other choice than to embark on another nationwide strike.
“The government has destroyed our trust; the responsibility now lies with them to regain it and avert any potential industrial action,” the union stated.
It noted that the issues at stake, particularly the Yayale Ahmed Report submitted since February 2025, cover critical matters such as university autonomy, academic freedom, conditions of service, and sustainable funding.
Accordingly, the union described the delay in its implementation as a dangerous threat to Nigeria’s educational system.
Reaffirming its readiness to act, ASUU declared: “The survival of any nation is tied to the health of its public universities.”
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
