A growing number of university lecturers across Nigeria have halted academic activities in protest against the delayed payment of their June 2025 salaries. The action follows a standing directive by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) National Executive Council, mandating branches to withdraw services if salaries are not paid by the third day of a new month.
At the University of Jos, members of the ASUU branch have officially pulled out of all teaching and statutory engagements. The branch chairman, Dr. Jurbe Molwus, confirmed the development, stating that the action was backed by both the NEC directive and the union’s local congress. He added that a strike monitoring team had already been deployed to ensure full compliance by members.
In Bauchi State, lecturers at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University have also downed tools. According to the ASUU chairman there, Dr. Angulu Haruna, the persistent delays in salary payments appear intentional. He expressed frustration that while other federal agencies receive prompt payments, university workers are often left behind. Haruna pointed to the government’s explanation involving IPPIS migration but said such excuses were no longer acceptable.
Reports from the University of Abuja indicate that only skeletal academic activities are ongoing, as many lecturers have chosen to stay away from classrooms until their salaries are paid.
Similarly, at Ahmadu Bello University, lecturers have also joined the protest, with sources confirming that the majority are complying with the national directive to withhold their services.
In a related development, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has also issued a stern warning. In a statement released Sunday night, ASUP threatened to begin its own strike action if salary payments are not made without further delay.
Earlier, ASUU’s national president, Professor Chris Piwuna, had warned that the union would no longer tolerate delays in wage disbursements, reiterating its no-pay-no-work stance toward the Federal Government.
As the salary crisis deepens, students in affected institutions are left in limbo, with lectures suspended and academic calendars at risk of further disruption. Stakeholders are now urging the government to urgently address the situation to avoid another round of prolonged industrial action in Nigeria’s already fragile tertiary education sector.
