Strike: Tension as FG Threatens to Enforce ‘No Work, No Pay’ if ASUU Disrupts Academic Calendar
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Federal Government has warned the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) against its planned two-week nationwide strike, threatening to enforce the “no work, no pay” policy should the union proceed with the industrial action.
OTN News further reports that the warning was issued on Sunday night in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, in reaction to ASUU’s announcement of a total and comprehensive warning strike beginning Monday, October 13, 2025.
The Ministry accused ASUU of failing to cooperate with ongoing government efforts to resolve outstanding issues, despite repeated appeals for dialogue and compromise.
According to the statement, government ministers reiterated that the Tinubu administration, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, remains committed to prioritising the welfare of university staff and the stability of the academic calendar.
“The Ministers further stressed that the government has continued to prioritise the welfare of university staff and the stability of the academic calendar under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. Dialogue remains the most effective and sustainable path to resolving disagreements, and government remains open to engagement at any level to prevent unnecessary disruption in the education sector,” the statement read.
The Ministry, however, made it clear that the “no work, no pay” principle remains an existing labour law and would be applied if ASUU disrupts academic activities.
“They emphasised that the ‘no work, no pay’ policy remains an extant labour law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the government will be guided by this law should academic activities be disrupted in the nation’s universities,” it added.
The Federal Government reassured students, parents, and the public that it remains committed to maintaining industrial harmony within the tertiary education system.
“Ministers appealed to all academic unions to embrace partnership and dialogue rather than confrontation, in the collective interest of the nation’s higher education system,” the statement said.
The government also restated its commitment to ongoing education reform initiatives, aimed at enhancing teaching and research conditions, promoting institutional autonomy, and strengthening university governance to ensure an academic environment built on mutual respect, productivity, and innovation.
ASUU, however, has justified its planned strike, citing the Federal Government’s alleged failure to implement key demands, including the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld salaries spanning three and a half months, and the revitalisation and sustainable funding of public universities.
Other demands include the payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, promotion arrears of over four years, and the release of withheld third-party deductions, such as cooperative contributions and union dues.
The union has also protested the alleged victimisation of lecturers at the Lagos State University (LASU), Prince Abubakar Audu University (Kogi State), and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
OTN News, however, observes that as tensions rise, both sides appear poised for a standoff that could once again test the fragile peace in Nigeria’s university system, with the Federal Government insisting on dialogue and ASUU warning that it will not back down until its demands are met.
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