Academic activities at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, may face fresh disruption as lecturers under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have issued a strong warning over unresolved welfare issues and unpaid entitlements.
The ASUU branch at NSUK says the Nasarawa State Government has repeatedly failed to honour agreements on salaries, allowances and funding obligations, despite several rounds of engagement with the authorities.
Addressing journalists in Keffi on Thursday, branch chairperson Abdulmumini Loko said the union was running out of patience, warning that continued inaction could trigger industrial action.
He stressed that the situation was becoming unsustainable, especially with multiple arrears still outstanding. According to him, “Industrial harmony cannot be assured if the Nasarawa State Government fails to urgently clear all outstanding arrears and respond to our demands.”
The union listed several unresolved issues, including the implementation of a 40 per cent salary increase agreed at the federal level, payment of professorial allowances, and improved funding for the institution.
ASUU NSUK also demanded the settlement of Earned Academic Allowance arrears, salary increments of 25 per cent and 35 per cent, as well as payments linked to the N70,000 minimum wage and N35,000 wage award.
Beyond salaries, the lecturers called for the domestication of the contributory pension scheme in the state, prompt remittance of counterpart funding, enforcement of retirement rules for professors, and regular constitution of visitation panels.
Loko warned that failure to address these issues could weaken the university system, citing risks such as declining academic standards, brain drain, disrupted academic calendars, and worsening staff welfare conditions.
He, however, maintained that dialogue remains the union’s preferred route, even as frustration grows among members over the slow pace of government response.
“While we remain open to dialogue and constructive engagement, our members’ patience is not limitless,” he said, adding that the union would not hesitate to take lawful steps if conditions do not improve.
ASUU NSUK’s warning adds to ongoing tensions in Nigeria’s public university system, where disputes over funding and welfare have repeatedly triggered strikes in recent years.
