Nigeria’s university system has been repeatedly disrupted by industrial actions led by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since the return to democracy in 1999.
Over a span of 26 years, ASUU has embarked on strike actions no fewer than 16 times, often citing underfunding, poor infrastructure, and unmet agreements with the federal government.
Stakeholders express concern that despite these prolonged and frequent shutdowns of academic activities, little has changed in terms of tangible outcomes or sustainable reforms.
The strikes have failed to improve university education in Nigeria. No Nigerian university was in the top 10 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2025 ranking.
Read also: ASUU strike: Senate wades in, meet education minister, NUC Tuesday
Similarly, Uniranks, one of the world’s largest university rankings, recently named the 2025 Africa’s best universities. The universities included: University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, University of Witwatersrand, University of Kwazulu-Natal, all of South Africa, and Cairo University, Egypt. The rankings were based on verified data, academic performance, and impact across the continent, the organisation said.
None of Nigeria’s universities was in the top 20.
Also, several members of ASUU can’t still access funds for research and do not have exchange programmes with overseas institutions.
Also, infrastructure in universities haven’t significantly improved, with several schools lacking teaching equipment.
ASUU strikes’ timeline
ASUU’s huge timeline of strikes since 1999 reflects a disturbing situation that has got stakeholders worried, particularly as the ongoing 14-day strike continues.
In 1999, ASUU was on strike for 150 days. The association embarked on strike for 90 days in 2001 and 14 days in 2002.
In 2003, the union went on strike for 180 days, which ended in 2004. Year 2005 witnessed just a three-day strike, and there were strikes in 2006 for seven days.
However, in 2007, ASUU embarked on a 90-day strike, which was reduced to seven days in 2008.
In 2009, there were strikes for 120 days, 157 in 2010, and 90 days in 2011, which began in December and ended in 2012.
In 2013, Nigerian universities lost about 150 days to ASUU strikes. The following two years, 2014 and 2015, were strike-free. However, the industrial dispute resurfaced in 2016 with a seven-day strike, while 2017 recorded 35 days of academic shutdown.
The year 2020 witnessed a prolonged nine-month strike, which was the longest in ASUU’s history. It was caused by disagreements with the federal government over university funding and the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which the union felt undermined university autonomy.
ASUU eventually suspended the strike in December 2020 after the government agreed to some of its demands, including the consideration of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an alternative salary payment platform.
The union resumed industrial action on February 14, 2022, embarking on another eight-month strike. Most recently, in 2025, ASUU declared a 14-day warning strike.
The union in these strikes, however, is yet to find lasting solutions to its agitations. Its strikes have instead left many students, especially those from poor homes, distracted and stranded after months of disrupted academic calendars, where a four-year course drags into a six years course, and a six–year course stretches to eight.
What ASUU should do
In the face of the unhealthy development, stakeholders have suggested the way out of this quagmire.
Nubi Achebo, director of Academic Planning at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM), urged the federal government to prioritise implementation of existing agreements, while ensuring timely release of funds and benefits.
While for ASUU, he said the union may need to reassess its negotiation strategies, considering alternative approaches such as mediation or arbitration.
“Both parties should strive for mutual understanding, considering the interests of students, lecturers, and the nation.
“Maintaining unity and solidarity among members will be crucial in negotiations,” he noted.
Hauwa Mohammed, a 400-level student at the University of Lagos, emphasised that ASUU’s repeated use of strikes has caused more harm than good, particularly for students whose academic progress is continuously interrupted, even though the union’s demands for increased funding, better welfare, and university autonomy are legitimate.
Mohammed noted that instead of depending exclusively on strikes, ASUU ought to investigate more positive and regular interactions with the government via delierations, policy advocacy, and cooperation with other educational stakeholders.
“Meaningful reforms can increase public support and guarantee accountability on both sides,” she said.
By Charle Ogwo @BusinessDay
