ASUU Strike Disrupts Exams Across Nigerian Universities
Examinations in several Nigerian universities came to a sudden halt on Monday as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began its two-week warning strike.
Students across the country faced unexpected disruptions, with many campuses forced to postpone or cancel scheduled papers.
Disruptions Across Campuses
Among the affected universities are the Federal University Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State, the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in Plateau State, and the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State.
Other schools such as Bayero University Kano (BUK) and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi had just wrapped up their exams before the strike began, avoiding the disruption by a narrow margin.
At FUD, students had started their second-semester examinations on 30 September and were meant to finish by 18 October.
According to Abdulqawiy Abdulazeez, a Zoology student, one of his papers, BIO 204, was postponed indefinitely. He said students received the notice through their class WhatsApp groups.
Another student, Yunusa Abubakar, in his final year in the Economics Department, shared that his last paper scheduled for 15 October was cancelled. He had also planned to meet his project supervisor that day, but the appointment was called off due to the strike.
At ATBU, a student told PREMIUM TIMES that exams had been completed before the strike began. Still, some final-year students are waiting to defend their research projects.
During a visit to BUK, students were seen leaving the campus with their bags, explaining that their semester exams had ended before the strike announcement.
Reports also confirmed that UNIBEN had to suspend examinations that were already underway on Monday.
Why Lecturers Are on Strike
ASUU lecturers are demanding the completion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement and the release of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries.
They are also calling for payment of 25–35% salary arrears, promotion arrears pending for over four years, and unpaid deductions for cooperative contributions and union dues.
According to the union, repeated reminders to the government have been ignored, and their concerns remain unresolved despite earlier warnings.
Government’s Response
The Federal Government has ordered all vice-chancellors of federal universities to enforce the “no work, no pay” rule against lecturers participating in the strike.
In a letter addressed to the vice-chancellors, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, instructed them to:
- Conduct a roll call and physical headcount of all teaching staff
- Submit a detailed report showing which lecturers are working and which are absent
- Withhold salaries of those who do not perform their duties during the strike
Dr. Alausa accused ASUU of not engaging constructively with the government.
ASUU, in response, said the government had failed to take their issues seriously. The union described its emergency meeting with government representatives on 10 October as “unproductive” and said no progress had been made since the strike ultimatum was issued.
Meet The Author
Share This Post: If this post helped you, share it with others! Use the buttons below to spread the word!