The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government a four-day deadline to begin the implementation of the newly approved salary structure for lecturers in Nigerian universities.
The union’s president, Professor Christopher Piwuna, made this known on Thursday during a public lecture in Bauchi State. He explained that the countdown starts immediately and warned that failure to act within the given timeframe would lead to decisive action from the union.
According to him, the government must urgently commence payments based on the new salary framework, which was agreed upon after a long period of negotiations. He also expressed concern over the government’s repeated failure to fulfil past agreements, a situation that has often resulted in industrial disputes and strikes.
The development comes amid ongoing tensions between ASUU and the government. Earlier in March 2026, the union had instructed some of its members to withdraw their services due to delays in salary payments and issues linked to the transition to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
In addition, the union had previously issued multiple warnings in 2025, including 14-day and one-month ultimatums, urging the government to finalise and implement agreements reached years earlier.
At the same time, dissatisfaction is spreading across the public sector, as federal civil servants have also threatened a nationwide strike over unpaid wage awards.
Although the new salary structure was agreed upon in December 2025 and scheduled to take effect from January 2026, implementation has yet to begin, further escalating tensions.
