Nigerian university education suffer set back
There's a common saying that a country cannot grow above it's educational standard. It has been a thing shame in a country highly blessed in natural resources but yet failed to invest much in it's educational System. Nigerian universities have faced uncountable number of strikes from Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who are striking for an improvement in Nigeria’s educational system.
The union over the years have undergone several strikes to bring to the notice of government the degrading state of Nigerian universities. Academic Staff Union of Universities seek to tackle issues bothering and aspirations of professional teachers within its socio-historical timeframe in the country by ensuring a fair working condition is complemented with up-to-date infrastructural facilities in the country’s tertiary academic institutions. Also, to fight against massive brain drain in the intellectual sector due to poor facilities by providing significant infrastructural in the education system of the country to meeting with the emerging trends in the global educational society. In the midst to achieve this and bring to government the need to provide the necessary amenities in educational section, Nigerian universities has been shut down for many months sometimes close to a year without academic activities.
It is obvious that in the space of twenty three years, Nigerian universities observed over sixteen good number of strikes which often lasted for over six to seven months before it is called off. This is an absolute waste of time, resources and energy. Some students took their lives when considering the kind of country they came from, the resources and time spent so yet they couldn't afford university education while Politicians children are schooling aboard.
Timelines of strikes in Nigerian Universities
Academic Staff Union of Universities first strike in 7th August 1988 but in form of protest when General Ibrahim Babangida was the Head of State
In 1999, the union embarked on another strike over inability of federal government to fulfill the negotiation between the union and government over working conditions in Nigerian universities under President Olusegun Obasanjo. The strike lasted for five months
The Academic Staff Union of Universities embarked on another strike in 2001 over reinstatement of 49 lecturers sacked at the University of Ilorin. The strike lasted for three months.
Union in December 2001 embarked on a two week strike due government failure to implement an agreement they had with the union at the previous strike.
In 2003, the Academy Staff Union of Universities shut down Nigerian universities nationwide for good six months without academic activities over non-implementation of previous agreements, which covers poor university funding and disparity in salary and retirement age.
in 2005, University lecturers stayed off campus for two weeks
In April 2026, the Academy Staff Union of Universities embarked on a three-day warning strike but result in one week stay at home for Nigerian students.
On 26th March 2007, The academy staff union of Universities embarked on a fresh strike which lasted for three months over the instatement of the forty-nine lecturers who were sacked from University of Ilorin.
In 2008, the union went for strike over an improvement in salary scheme, the it lasted for one week.
In 2009, an industrial strike which lasted for four months was embarked upon by the union during President Umaru Musa Yar'du'a regime over an agreement referred to FG/ASUU Memorandum of Action. This agreement was signed before the union agreed to call of it's strike. But this agreement has emanated many strikes thereby due to the failure of federal government to keep to the agreement with the union.
the failure of the federal government to implement the Memorandum of Action agreed upon leads to an indefinite strike which started on 22nd July, 2010 to January 2011, lasted for over five months
Yet still, the Federal Government was still adamant over the issue. In December 2011 launched another strike over poor funding in Nigerian universities and implementation of 70-years retirement age limit for university lecturers members. The strike lasted for 59 days and was called off in 2012
On 17th July 2013, the union embarked on strike due to the failure of federal government to review the retirement age of professors from 65-70years, approve funding to revitalize the university system. The strike lasted for another five months and fifteen days.
Also, on 17th August, 2017, Asuu declared an infinite strike due to an unresolved and contentious issues with federal government.
Moreso, on 4th November 2018, the union embarked on nationwide strike because of federal government inaction. After several meetings between the union and federal government, the strike was called off on 7th February, 2019.
In 2022, the union issued a two-week warning still on federal government inability to implement it's 2019 agreement with the union. The strike lasted for nine months, it became the longest strike in history.
On 14th February, 2022, the union again embarked on strike which is still ongoing for over five months now irrespective of many protest from Nigeria students, pressure group and Nigerian Labour Congress to put an end to this mess in the education system of Nigeria.
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