ASUU announces nationwide strike over non-payment of June salary

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced a nationwide strike following delays in the payment of June 2025 salaries.

The industrial action decision was made by the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU, which enforces a strict “No Pay, No Work” policy and directs branches to withdraw services if salaries are not paid by the third day of a new month.

Already, ASUU branches at the University of Jos and the University of Abuja have downed tools in compliance with the directive, with other branches expected to follow suit in the coming days, according to the national leadership of the union.

Confirming the development on Monday, July 7, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, said the strike is a response to the recurring financial hardship faced by university lecturers due to persistent delays in salary payments.

He attributed the worsening delays to the federal government’s transition of university payrolls from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

Prof. Piwuna condemned what he described as the “nonchalant attitude” of key government officials toward the welfare of lecturers, noting that despite efforts to engage the Minister of Education and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, there had been “no meaningful progress.”

“Our members are experiencing hardship. Salaries are often delayed by a week or more. At NEC, we agreed that if salaries are not paid within three days of a new month, members should withdraw their services,” he said.

Dismissing claims of technical issues with the GIFMIS platform, Piwuna insisted the delays were due to deliberate negligence by the Office of the Accountant General.

“When funds are eventually released, there are no complaints of underpayment or technical failure. The system works; it’s the handlers who are stalling. We believe this delay is intentional,” he added.