ASUU Issues Ultimatum to Lagos Government Over Unfulfilled Welfare Agreement
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that it will shut down three Lagos State-owned universities if the state government continues to delay the implementation of the 2025 agreement reached between the union and the Federal Government. The affected institutions are Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), and Lagos State University of Education (LASUED).
Six Months of Talks Yield No Progress
ASUU made its position known during a press briefing held on Thursday at the LASUSTECH main campus in Ikorodu. The Lagos Zonal Chairman of ASUU, Prof. Adesola Nassir, disclosed that the union had spent six months engaging with representatives of the Lagos state government but had seen no progress. He said ASUU decided to issue a public warning before taking action so that no one would accuse the union of having hidden motives. “We are giving this warning ahead so that there won’t be any allegation that some persons are the ones sponsoring ASUU members to demand their rights,” Nassir stated.
Background of the 2025 Agreement
Nassir explained that the 2025 agreement came after eight years of negotiations between ASUU and the Federal Government. Representatives of both federal and state universities participated in those discussions, making it reasonable to expect state governments to implement the agreement. The arrangement was intended to prevent industrial disputes and disruptions to academic calendars. Instead, Lagos state had failed to act despite repeated engagement with the union.
Lagos 'Centre of Excellence' Under Fire
ASUU questioned why Lagos, popularly known as the "Centre of Excellence," has not fulfilled the welfare commitments contained in the agreement. “No government can legitimately claim excellence while the intellectual workforce responsible for producing excellence experiences prolonged uncertainty over agreed welfare commitments,” the union said. Lecturers are becoming discouraged because they have been denied benefits they believe they are entitled to under the agreement.
Lagos Falling Behind Other States
The union claimed that several other state governments have already implemented the 2025 agreement, leaving Lagos as one of the few yet to do so. It also accused the state government of repeatedly delaying action on staff welfare and of failing to address concerns raised by workers in LASU and LASUED properly. “ASUU remains committed to constructive engagement. But we would not allow any state to trivialise our committed struggle to improve the lot of our universities,” the union added.
Union Backs Possible Industrial Action
ASUU said it has already written to state governments through the vice chancellors of their universities and noted that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had also communicated with institutions on the issue. The union said several state university branches across the country have already moved towards industrial action over the non-implementation of the 2025 agreement and confirmed that it fully supports those actions.
Government Yet to Respond
As of the time of this report, there has been no response from the Lagos government. For now, ASUU has only issued a warning. The union said it plans to picket and shut down the three universities if the agreement remains unimplemented, but it did not announce a date for the proposed action. Academic activities had not been suspended as of the briefing.
Broader Context: ASUU Threatens Strike in Seven Universities
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that ASUU threatened an indefinite strike across seven state-owned universities in Edo, Delta, and Ondo if the 2025 agreement is not implemented in lecturers' July salaries. The union said discussions with the three state governments had failed to produce results after six months. It demanded payment of the Consequential Adjustment to Academic Allowances and arrears dating back to January 2026. ASUU warned that failure to meet its demands would trigger a total and indefinite industrial action.
