By Ayomide Otitoju
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi Zone, has expressed concern over what it described as the Federal Government’s lack of commitment to resolving critical issues in Nigeria’s university system.
Speaking at a press conference at Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos, on Saturday, November 15, 2025, ASUU Bauchi Zonal Coordinator Timothy Namo said the government had shown little interest in addressing key matters, despite the suspension of the union’s two-week warning strike that began on October 13, 2025.
Namo recalled that ASUU suspended the strike on October 21 following a National Executive Council (NEC) emergency meeting, during which the union received strong support from students, media, labour unions, the National Assembly, and concerned Nigerians. The suspension was intended to create space for meaningful engagement with the government.
However, he lamented that “barely one week to the expiration of the four-week window given to the government, nothing substantial has been achieved.”
The NEC meeting, held from November 8 to 9 at Taraba State University, rejected the government’s proposed salary increment, describing it as “a drop in the ocean” and insufficient to reverse the brain drain affecting Nigerian universities. While some non-monetary aspects of the negotiations showed progress, Namo said the most critical issues—salaries and working conditions—remain unresolved.
He also accused some government officials of deliberately undermining negotiations and questioned the government’s commitment to prioritising education. Namo criticised partial payments of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the release of third-party deductions as inadequate gestures that do little to rebuild trust.
Contradicting government claims of insufficient funds, ASUU cited financial allocations showing significant increases to both federal and state governments. States reportedly received ₦3.92 trillion in 2022 and ₦5.81 trillion in 2024, while the federal government received ₦3.42 trillion in 2022 and ₦4.65 trillion in 2024, increases of more than 62% and 70%, respectively. “These statistics confirm that it is not lack of funds but lack of political will and misplacement of priorities that make education suffer in Nigeria,” Namo said.
The union called on traditional rulers, civil society organisations, student bodies, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the National Assembly to intervene to prevent further disruption of academic activities. Namo urged the government to use the remaining days of the negotiation window wisely, stressing that “the surest way to safeguard the nation’s future is through massive investment in education.”
In October 2025, ASUU had suspended the two-week warning strike following renewed commitments from the Federal Government and the National Assembly to address the union’s demands.
