The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has cautioned the Federal Government to prepare for possible industrial action over what it described as the failure to honour agreements reached in 2026, particularly the delay in setting up the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC).
According to the union, the excitement that followed the unveiling of the agreement on January 14, 2026, is gradually fading and could disappear entirely if the government continues to neglect the full implementation of the pact.
Speaking on Wednesday, the ASUU Kano Zone Coordinator, Professor Abdulkadir Muhammad, expressed concern over the government’s failure to establish the IMC, which was designed to prevent bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensure the smooth execution of the agreement.
He noted that the implementation process by federal authorities has so far been disjointed and poorly coordinated, while only a handful of state governments have complied with and enforced the agreement.
Professor Muhammad explained that some federal university administrators have selectively applied aspects of the Consolidated Academic Tool Allowances (CATA), Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), and Professorial Allowances (PA), even though all the components were meant to be merged into the Consolidated University Academic Salary Scale (CONUASS) as part of lecturers’ monthly salaries.
He also accused several state governors, who serve as visitors to state-owned universities, of ignoring the agreement despite the involvement of representatives from their institutions during the renegotiation process.
While commending some state universities for beginning implementation, the ASUU Kano Zone condemned what it described as the partial or complete refusal by some vice-chancellors of public universities to implement the salary provisions of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement.
The union urged both federal and state governments to respect the agreement in order to maintain industrial harmony within Nigerian universities, stressing that ASUU remains committed to ensuring its members enjoy the gains secured during the eight-year negotiation process between 2017 and 2025.
Professor Muhammad further stated that the failure to inaugurate the IMC has also affected the implementation of another major aspect of the December 2025 agreement, the proposed National Research Council (NRC).
ASUU also raised concerns over the Federal Government’s plan to establish a National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), announced by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, on April 7, 2026.
According to the union, it was not involved in the proposal despite the minister referencing a funding figure of $500 million.
Muhammad said ASUU was surprised that the minister made no mention of the provisions contained in the FGN-ASUU agreement on research, innovation, and development.
Although the union said it does not oppose contributions from stakeholders toward building the legal and policy framework of the fund, it urged the Federal Government to strictly follow the objectives outlined in the agreement.
ASUU warned that it would resist any attempt by external interests or local collaborators to derail or hijack the country’s research and development agenda.