The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to shut down universities nationwide if its members’ outstanding salary-related payments are not resolved.
The union’s position follows industrial action by branches of ASUU in some federal universities over what they described as non-payment or underpayment of their August 2026 earnings.
At Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, the ASUU branch declared an indefinite strike after alleging that members had not received their full August salaries. The union directed lecturers to withdraw from teaching, examinations, supervision and other academic and administrative duties.
However, the university management disputed the claim that lecturers were paid only part of their salaries, saying the outstanding payment involved Earned Academic Allowance rather than basic salaries.
The ASUU branch at the University of Benin also declared an indefinite withdrawal of services over what it described as underpayment of members’ August earnings.
UNIBEN management, however, said the Federal Government had paid the salaries of all categories of staff up to August 2026, explaining that the issue involved the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA).
The latest developments followed ASUU’s standing position that its branches can withdraw their services when salaries are not fully paid by the third day of the following month.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has announced the release of funds covering eight months of CATA payments, from January to August 2026, to eligible academic staff in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The payment was said to be part of the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
The dispute has renewed concerns about the stability of the academic calendar in public universities, with further industrial action capable of disrupting lectures and other academic activities nationwide.
