The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its nationwide strike following the payment of long-delayed salaries by the Federal Government.
The development came on Tuesday, July 8, after lecturers and other staff in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions received their June 2025 salaries, ending weeks of industrial tension and a “no-pay-no-work” stance adopted by several ASUU chapters across the country.
The salary delays, which spanned five months, were attributed to the transition of academic staff from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), a process managed by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
At Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi, ASUU branch chairperson Haruna Angulu confirmed that lecturers had resumed duties following receipt of payment. Similarly, the ASUU chapter at the Federal University of Kashere issued a directive for members to return to academic activities, citing the cleared wage backlog.
In the University of Jos, a circular from the institution’s bursary department also confirmed the disbursement of salaries, prompting lecturers to end their work boycott.
Reacting to the resolution, Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, lauded the renewed atmosphere of stability in the education sector. In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, he credited the peaceful development to sustained dialogue and the federal government’s consistent engagement with academic unions.
“It is not by coincidence that Nigerian public tertiary institutions have remained open and stable for the past two years, something that has not happened in several decades,” Alausa noted.
He emphasized that the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to addressing the concerns of both academic and non-academic staff.
“This is a reflection of our government’s unwavering commitment to maintaining cordial relationships with all stakeholders in the education sector,” he said. “We are meeting demands in phases, and we are doing so respectfully and consistently.”
Alausa reiterated that staff welfare is a top priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda, adding, “Our children are the heartbeat of the nation, and their uninterrupted education is non-negotiable.”
He assured that the government would continue to work closely with all education-sector unions to preserve the academic calendar and ensure public universities remain operational.
“The Federal Government will continue to work closely with all unions in the education sector to ensure that the gates of our institutions remain open,” he concluded.