ASUU was formed in 1978, the period of the beginning of the decline in the oil boom, when the country faced the consequences of the failure by its rulers to use the oil wealth to generate production and a social welfare system. Military dictatorship had eroded deeply the basic freedoms in the society. Academic freedom and university autonomy were casualties of military dictatorship.

The funding of education, and so of universities, became poorer. The factors required a changed orientation of the union of academics, from 1980.

ASUU's orientation became radical, more concerned with broad national issues, and stood firmly against oppressive, undemocratic policies of the country.

The Early Years of ASUU.

Assault on academic freedom was the subject of resistance by ASUU throughout the 1980s. In 1978, the Uthman Mohammed Commission Report had an instrument for the Federal Governments usurpation of the disciplinary functions of Governing Councils. The Federal Government directed some Councils to dismiss certain members of staff from their posts without the right of hearing.

This practice carried over into the military regimes through Babangida and Abacha. In 1980, ASUU declared a Trade Dispute and made the issue of autonomy an issue in dispute.

In December 1980, President Shehu Shagari directed the Council of the University of Lagos to remove six senior members of the academic staff from their jobs, following Justice Belonwus Visitation Panel Report. ASUU protested and continued to press for their reinstatement. In 1986, the Supreme Courts judgement was given in favour of the UNILAG academics, vindicating ASUUs position.


In 1980-1981, ASUU had a struggle with the Shagari Government. Its concerns were funding, salaries, autonomy and academic freedom, the brain drain, and the survival of the university system. ASUU also worked with separate industrial unions and NLC State Chapters. It took on debates on the direction and context of national economic, educational and other policies.

The series of strike which we have listed below, have been experienced by all Government-owned universities in Nigeria, whose academic lecturers remained under the umbrella of the “Academic Staff Union of Universities -ASUU”.

1. 1999 -- 5 months.
2. 2001 -- 3 months
3. 2002 -- 2 weeks
4. 2003 -- 6 months → (ended in 2004)
5. 2005 -- 3 days
6. 2006 -- 1 week
7. 2007 -- 3 months
8. 2008 -- 1 week
9. 2009 -- 4 months
10. 2010 -- 5 months and 1 week
11. 2011 -- 3 months(ended in 2012)
12. 2013 -- 6 months
13. 2017 -- 2 weeks and counting...

ASUU’s intention is to fight for the salvation of the university system, though it’s not communicating this appropriately. ASUU seems to be doing a rather poor job of stating its case for the benefit of the general public. And in that failure, it is losing a lot of the potential public goodwill that could translate into heightened moral power.

And it’s difficult to not assume that this strike action, like the innumerable ones before it, is yet another ill-considered, self-serving campaign, without any real regard for an overwhelming structural change in the way our universities are funded and run.

Non Implementation Of The 2009 Agreement.

Of all the items contained in the MoU, only N200 billion, out of the N1.3 Trillion PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES REVITALIZATION (Needs Assessment) fund was released.

The union also embarked on a one week warning strike in November 2016 to press for the implementation of 2013 MoU. However government did not implement the understanding reach between the union and Federal Government base on the intervention by the leadership of Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The union has also met with the 2009 Agreement Implementation Monitoring Committee, IMC, and had written several letters press releases and communiqués on the outstanding issues to no avail.

“The National Executive Council, NEC, of ASUU then met at the University of Abuja on August 12 2017 to consider the result of a referendum from all branches in a bid to ascertain ways of convincing government to implement outstanding aspects of the 2009 and the MoU of 2013”.
The Key Outstanding Issues Include:

1. Payment of fractions / non-payment of salaries.
2. Non-payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA)
3. Non-Release of operational licence of NUPEMCO
4. Non-implementation of the 2014 Pensions Reform Act with respect to retired Professors and their salaries.
5. Removal of University Staff Schools from funding by Government.
6. Funds for revitalization of public universities (implementation of Needs Assessment Report).
7. Poor funding of State Universities, and proliferation of universities by their visitors.
In the light of the foregoing, and having exhausted all avenues to get Government to implement the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, and the 2013 MoU as well as related demands, they resolved to embark on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action which commenced on Sunday, 13th August 2017.

Way Forward:

Many are wondering questionably, if these unresolved issues between the FGN/ASUU will...READ MORE[b][/b] http://www.louisjimsblog.com/2017/08/ASUU-incessant-strike-and-consequent.html

Selfish interest

Both ASUU and fg are crooks....