ASUU issues notice to FG on 21-day strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has informed the federal government of its plans to embark on a fresh nationwide strike.

Punch reports that sources within the national executive council (NEC) of the union confirmed the development in Abuja on Monday.

The source said the union issued a 21-day notice to the federal government after a NEC meeting held at the University of Ibadan (UI).

A copy of the notice, it is understood, is expected to be transmitted to the labour and education ministries.

“It is not an ultimatum but a strike notice. We are giving them 21 days notice, after which we shall embark on strike,” the source was quoted as saying.

“Our aim for putting out the notice is that it is a requirement under labour laws so we are trying to ensure that all our actions are done according to the law.”

Public universities have been blighted by strikes in the last decade over remuneration for lecturers and the provision of infrastructure on campuses.

In 2022, ASUU embarked on what became its 16th strike in 23 years.

In June 2024, ASUU joined the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in an indefinite nationwide strike over minimum wage and hiked electricity tariffs.

In the same month, Tahir Mamman, the minister of education, invited ASUU to a meeting to discuss the lingering issues affecting universities.

Emmanuel Osodeke, the national president of ASUU, would later reveal that agreements reached with the federal government had not been implemented.