By Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto
The Sokoto Zonal Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), comprising 10 universities across the North-West, has raised serious concerns over what it described as the slow, distorted and selective implementation of the 2025 Federal Government ASUU Agreement, warning that continued neglect of lecturers’ welfare and university governance issues could trigger avoidable industrial unrest in the nation’s tertiary education sector.
The union, under the leadership of the Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Abubakar Sabo, accused both federal and state governments of failing to faithfully implement critical aspects of the agreement publicly presented in January 2026.
Addressing journalists in Sokoto, the union said the failure of government to integrate the agreement into national fiscal and monetary frameworks had created room for bureaucratic bottlenecks, inconsistencies and selective implementation by some university administrators.
“The Sokoto Zone is deeply disturbed that several federal and state universities are yet to fully implement major components of the 2025 FGN ASUU Agreement,” Sabo stated.
According to him, unresolved issues include the non-implementation of academic and professorial allowances, earned academic allowances, promotion arrears, salary shortfalls, annual increments and unpaid third-party deductions affecting lecturers across universities in the zone.
“We call on both the federal and state governments to faithfully implement every component of the agreement in the interest of industrial harmony, stability and sustainable development of Nigerian universities,” he said.
The union further lamented the continued neglect of welfare-related matters affecting academics nationwide, including the outstanding 25–35 per cent salary award arrears, unpaid promotion benefits, withheld salaries linked to the 2022 ASUU strike action, delayed pension payments and lack of pension harmonisation for retired academics.
ASUU also identified additional challenges confronting state-owned universities within the Sokoto Zone, particularly the non-implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance and non-payment of earned academic allowances for parallel and special academic sessions.
The union specifically cited cases involving Sokoto State University and Shehu Shagari University of Education, where it alleged that lecturers handling multiple academic sessions were yet to receive corresponding entitlements.
The zone also accused some universities of failing to remit cooperative deductions and union dues, while others allegedly owed lecturers promotion arrears and annual salary increments dating back to 2020.
“Universities cannot function effectively where lecturers are denied their legitimate entitlements for years. Nigerian academics deserve dignity, fair treatment and prompt payment of their lawful earnings,” Sabo declared.
He warned that the continued delay in resolving the issues could provoke widespread industrial disputes capable of destabilising academic activities across the country.
On national education policies, the Sokoto Zone aligned itself with the position of ASUU’s National Executive Council in rejecting several recent policy pronouncements in the education sector.
Among the policies criticised by the union was the reported reversal of the mother-tongue policy in early child education without what it described as adequate empirical justification.
The union also faulted the proposed establishment of foreign-affiliated universities under the Transnational Education Framework, arguing that such initiatives could undermine local universities and weaken Nigeria’s higher education system.
ASUU equally expressed reservations over the compulsory enrolment of academics into the Nigerian Educational Repository Data system without broad consultation with stakeholders.
The union further opposed moves to phase out some humanities and social science courses under the guise of labour market reforms.
“All academic disciplines remain relevant to national growth and societal advancement. Nigeria’s unemployment crisis is not caused by academic programmes but by poor economic policies, weak governance, corruption and misplaced national priorities,” the zonal coordinator stressed.
The union also condemned what it described as rising cases of maladministration, lack of transparency and politically motivated appointments in Nigerian universities.
According to ASUU, the increasing trend of questionable academic designations and irregular appointments poses serious threats to the integrity, autonomy and global reputation of Nigerian universities.
“University leadership appointments must strictly be guided by merit, due process, accountability and transparency,” the union insisted.
On the security situation in the country, ASUU expressed grave concern over worsening insecurity, economic hardship and political tensions across Nigeria, especially in the northern region.
The union noted that banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and communal conflicts continue to disrupt educational activities and threaten the safety of students, lecturers and host communities.
“Many communities have been displaced, while staff and students in several institutions now operate under constant fear and uncertainty,” Sabo said.
ASUU therefore called on governments at all levels to urgently prioritise the protection of lives and property, tackle poverty and unemployment, and create conditions necessary for meaningful national development and educational stability.
The Sokoto Zone reiterated its commitment to defending the rights of Nigerian academics and sustaining the struggle for improved funding, welfare and autonomy of public universities across the country.
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