ASUU Raises Alarm Over Economic Hardship in Nigeria

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed alarm over Nigeria's deteriorating economic conditions, attributing rising inflation, the removal of fuel subsidies, and currency devaluation as key factors that have diminished workers' purchasing power and increased poverty levels. ASUU characterized the current situation as “growth without development,” indicating that improvements in macroeconomic indicators have not benefitted ordinary citizens.

Following an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on September 5, 2026, President of ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the union's support for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in demanding a review of the national minimum wage and the indexing of wages to inflation. ASUU criticized the government's focus on macroeconomic growth without corresponding improvements in citizens' welfare.

The union also threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike due to the poor implementation of the December 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)-ASUU Agreement and the withholding of three-and-a-half months' salaries from its members.