ASUU Gives ESUT July Deadline To Implement 2025 Agreement Or Face Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nsukka Zone, has given the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) until the end of July 2026 to begin implementing the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government agreement or face an indefinite strike.

The union warned that ESUT remains the only university in the ASUU Nsukka Zone yet to implement the agreement, describing the situation as unacceptable and capable of triggering a major industrial dispute.

The zonal coordinator of ASUU Nsukka Zone, Professor Christian Opata, issued the warning during a press briefing held at ESUT on Tuesday.

Opata said the Nsukka Zone comprises Benue State University, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Federal University Lokoja, Federal University Wukari, Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, and Kogi State University, Anyigba.

He recalled that ASUU concluded negotiations with the federal government in 2025 after what he described as a long and difficult process, adding that the agreement was unveiled on January 14, 2026, with implementation taking effect immediately.

According to him, the National Universities Commission (NUC), transmitted the agreement to all state governments, while ASUU branches also forwarded the document through their vice-chancellors.

“We believe that the federal government was deliberate in choosing the date of the unveiling as it coincided with the date of the emergence of Nigeria as a nation-state.

“After the signing of the agreement, the National Universities Commission transmitted the information to all state governments. This is apart from our members handing over the same document to the vice-chancellors who also transmitted it to the state governments,” he said.

Opata expressed concern that ESUT had failed to implement the agreement despite other universities in the zone complying with its provisions.

“For the purpose of clarification and emphasis, Enugu State University of Science and Technology is the only university in the Nsukka Zone of ASUU that has refused to honour the agreement. As we speak, the branch is facing a number of challenges capable of triggering an industrial dispute. However, our focus in this press conference is on the implementation of the 2025 Agreement,” he said.

He also decried what he described as the recurring failure of governments in the South-East to implement agreements reached with ASUU.

“We are worried by the continued reference to the South-East as the part of Nigeria that is notorious for not implementing ASUU/FGN agreements.

“Is there an agreement among governors and state legislatures to continue to deny people their legitimate entitlements? The governor is advised to be mindful of such actors,” he said.

The ASUU coordinator warned that the continued non-implementation of the agreement was having a devastating effect on the university and its academic staff.

He said the union would embark on an indefinite, comprehensive and total strike if implementation of the agreement did not commence by the end of July 2026.

Opata added that the implementation should include payment of arrears dating back to January 2026, in line with what had been done in other universities.