On May 25. 2022, the Academic Staff Union Of Universities industrial action strike clocked 100 days. The strike which began on February 14, was extended for an additional 12 weeks in May after the union said the federal government had failed to reach an agreement over pending issues raised.

Emmanuel Osodeke, the national president of ASUU disclosed this in a statement saying , “The development took effect from Monday, May 9, adding that the union took the decision after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja.”

This action has, in turn, suspended the activities of students and institutions’ academic calendar. While there are several disparities in the conclusions of the union, despite several meetings between the body and the government, it is not the first time the union has declared a strike as long as this.

A report analyzed that the union has spent one in every four days on strike in the last six years.

History of strike from 1999

In 1999, just as Nigeria was ending the log regn of the military junta, the union embarked on a nationwide strike, during the Obasanjo-Akitu administration demanding for a reform in the academic sector. This nationwide strike lasted for five months. Two years later, in 2001, the union called for another industrial action, following a statement made by the then President Obasanjo. The strike which lasted for three months was for  the reinstatement of 49 lecturers sacked at the University of Ilorin.

The peace in the institution’s academic calendar was short-lived after the union in 2002 embarked on a two weeks strike. This was following an agreement made by the government in the previous year, which it had failed to fulfil. For another six months in 2003, the union called for a sit at home due to the non-implementation of previous agreements, which covered poor university funding and disparity in salary and retirement age.

Two year later, the strike continued every year till 2010 following the government failure to implement its agreement with the union. In 2005, the union called for a strike which lasted for two weeks. In 2006, the strike which was initially a three-day warning strike lasted for one week.  In 2007, which started March 26, lasted for three months. In 2008, it lasted for one week while in 2009, it lasted for four months. Despite the agreement signed in 2009, the union called for another strike in 2010 which lasted for six months from July to January 2011. 

When the government failed to honour the agreement, the union paralysed the academic calendar, calling for another strike in 2011, which lasted for 59 days, ending in 2012. 

In 2013, the union embarked on another strike, lasting for five months and 15days, over the government’s failure to review the retirement age for professors from 65 to 70; approve funding to revitalise the university system; increase the budgetary allocations to the education sector by 26% among others.

On August 17, 2017, ASUU again declared an indefinite strike over unresolved and contentious issues with the Federal Government. The strike lasted for 36 days. In 2018, the union embarked on another strike in November which lasted for three months. 

In 2020, the union had accused the federal government of failing to implement the agreement. It called for an industrial action, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, which lasted for nine months.

In 2022, the industrial action of the union has surpassed 100 days and  still counting. 

However, while the strike has been on, the federal government has issued several threats to the union. This is coming after several disagreements between the two parties have become inconclusive. It is still, however, unclear the plans of the government as well as the union to resolving issues.