Inside 16-Year ASUU-FG Agreement That Pushed Nigerian Lecturers Into Endless Strikes
Story: written by Okafor Joseph August 27,2025
The protracted crisis between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government of Nigeria is rooted in a 2009 agreement that has remained largely unimplemented for over 16 years.
That deal, originally signed to address issues of university funding, staff welfare, and infrastructure development, has since become the basis for repeated industrial actions that disrupt Nigeria’s higher education system.
Each time ASUU embarks on strike, students are forced out of classrooms while parents count the cost of delayed graduations. The Federal Government, on the other hand, continues to struggle with honoring the financial obligations contained in the agreement.
Education experts argue that unless both parties revisit and realistically review the 2009 agreement, the cycle of strikes will persist, further damaging the quality of Nigeria’s university education and the future of millions of students.
