In a statement issued on Monday by its President, Joe Ajaero, the NLC described ASUU’s two-week warning strike as a justified response to the government’s consistent failure to uphold agreements voluntarily signed with unions in the education sector.
“The commencement of a two-week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a direct consequence of the Federal Government’s refusal to honour collectively bargained agreements,” Ajaero said.
“This action is a necessary response to the neglect of a fundamental pillar of our society.”
He dismissed the government’s “No Work, No Pay” stance as misleading and unfair, stressing that the real breach lies with the state, not the lecturers.
“The lecturers are willing to work, but the government, by reneging on its commitments, has made it impossible for them to do so with the dignity and conditions their profession deserves,” he added.
The NLC said the dispute goes beyond an industrial issue, highlighting how years of neglect have deepened inequality within the nation’s education system.
“It is unjust that the children of the elite study abroad or in expensive private institutions, while those of ordinary Nigerians are trapped in underfunded public universities,” the statement read. “This growing divide undermines social mobility and perpetuates inequality.”
Reaffirming its solidarity with ASUU and other education unions, the NLC urged the Federal Government to immediately implement all pending agreements and engage in genuine dialogue to resolve the crisis.
“The struggle of ASUU is our struggle. The fight for public education is a fight for Nigeria’s future. We will no longer allow these unions to stand alone,” Ajaero declared.
This statement follows the government’s directive to enforce the “No Work, No Pay” policy across federal universities after ASUU began its two-week warning strike.
The order, contained in a circular dated October 13, 2025, was signed by Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa and copied to relevant government officials and university authorities.
The standoff marks another chapter in the long-running conflict between ASUU and the Federal Government over funding, salaries, and the general condition of public universities.
