The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has announced a nationwide directive to its members to boycott all academic activities any month their salaries are not paid by the third day. The directive, which is expected to take immediate effect, applies to all ASUU branches across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, ASUU said the decision was necessitated by the continued hardship facing university lecturers due to recurrent salary delays by the government. The union stressed that its members can no longer afford to work under harsh conditions without pay.
“You cannot expect lecturers to teach on empty stomachs. We cannot transport ourselves to work, meet our obligations, or even survive if our salaries are not paid on time,” the union’s national president said.
ASUU described the policy as a simple application of the principle of “no pay, no work,” and vowed to sustain the boycott until the government meets its financial obligations. The union also warned that any attempt to intimidate or victimize its members for complying with the directive will be met with stiff resistance.
The new policy comes amid growing tensions between the union and federal authorities over the poor state of tertiary education in Nigeria, frequent underfunding, and failure to honor previous agreements.
This development may further disrupt academic calendars across Nigerian public universities, many of which are still recovering from the effects of past strikes. Students and parents are expressing mixed reactions, with some supporting the lecturers’ stance and others fearing another prolonged academic setback.
ASUU called on the federal and state governments to institutionalize timely salary payments and prioritize the welfare of academic staff, warning that neglecting this issue would only deepen the crisis in Nigeria’s university system.
