“UNILORIN ASUU Protests, Demands 2009 Agreement Action”

Ilorin, Nigeria— Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ilorin chapter, on Tuesday, staged a peaceful rally urging the Federal Government to fulfill the long-standing 2009 agreement reached with the union.

The protest, led by ASUU Chairman Dr. Alex Akanmu, was organized to draw attention to what lecturers described as a looming crisis in the Nigerian university system if the issues remain unaddressed.

During the rally, lecturers carried placards with inscriptions such as “Honour and implement your agreement with ASUU,” “Increase budgetary allocation for education,” and “University workers are not slaves.” The union insisted that the government must act promptly to prevent yet another disruption of the academic calendar.

Dr. Akanmu, speaking on behalf of the lecturers, appealed to Nigerians to prevail on the government to honor its commitments. He stressed that while ASUU has remained peaceful and patriotic, members could no longer tolerate government’s delay tactics that undermine their welfare.

The union listed several key demands, including the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, revitalization and sustainable funding of universities, institutional autonomy, payment of outstanding 25–35 percent salary arrears, settlement of four years’ promotion arrears, and mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowances.

Highlighting the stagnation of academic salaries for the past 16 years, ASUU noted that the government had failed to review the 2009 agreement every three years as originally agreed. The lecturers argued that this neglect has left Nigerian academics impoverished compared to their global peers.

The union also criticized the Federal Government for failing to implement several renegotiated draft agreements and warned that credibility now depends on how it handles the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed Report submitted in February 2025, which addressed major disputes between both parties.

While acknowledging a scheduled meeting on August 28, 2025, ASUU expressed doubt over the government’s sincerity, describing its approach as a “keep them talking” strategy. Dr. Akanmu emphasized that frustration among members was growing rapidly.

The union condemned Nigeria’s underfunding of education, noting that while UNESCO recommends 15–26% of national budgets for education, Nigeria allocated only about 7% in 2025. ASUU warned that persistent neglect has pushed universities toward collapse, making urgent intervention unavoidable.

By Makinde oyinkansola| August 26, 2025