According to ASUU, if outstanding concerns are not resolved, 2025 may be a year full of constant conflicts between the union and the federal government.
Professor Ayo Akinwole, the chairman of the ASUU chapter in Ibadan, recently outlined the union’s grievances and charged that the Federal Government is ignoring the education sector.
He claims that the government has continuously neglected to address important problems that universities face, such as:
- Funding revitalisation agreements from the FGN-ASUU MoUs of 2012, 2013, and the MoA of 2017.
- Non-payment of withheld salaries and arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).
- Unresolved issues with third-party deductions, such as cooperative savings and retirement contributions.
- Failure to replace IPPIS with UTAS, a payment system designed to cater to university lecturers.
- Inadequate attention to the proliferation of public universities and the implementation of visitation panel reports.
These long-standing issues, could lead to another round of strikes if left unaddressed in 2025, ASUU warns.
What ASUU Expects in 2025
ASUU has set clear expectations for the Federal Government in order to prevent crisis:
- Immediate payment of withheld salaries and Earned Academic Allowances.
- Implementation of the Nimi Briggs-led renegotiated draft agreement, which proposes salary adjustments in line with current economic realities.
- Proper funding of public universities through initiatives like TETFund, which is currently under threat from proposed tax reforms.
- Restoration of lecturers’ salaries to align with the African average.
- Immediate adoption of UTAS to replace the controversial IPPIS system.
Additionally, ASUU opposed the Federal Government’s proposal to substitute a “development levy” for the education tax, stating that this would seriously hinder the TETFund, which has been crucial in funding public university facilities.
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