…Orders Varsities to Enforce “No Work, No Pay”
…Says Union Demands Already Met
By Jeremy Fregene
The Federal Government has directed all Vice Chancellors of federal universities to immediately enforce the “no work, no pay” policy against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) currently on strike. The directive, contained in a circular dated October 13, 2025, was signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and circulated to key government agencies, including the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Budget Office, and the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The circular emphasized strict compliance with the Labour Laws of the Federation, reiterating that any academic staff member who fails to perform official duties during the strike would not receive salaries for the period. “In line with the provisions of the Labour Laws of the Federation, the Federal Government reiterates its position on the enforcement of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy in respect of any employee who fails to discharge his or her official duties during the period of strike action,” the circular stated.
Dr. Alausa directed university Vice Chancellors to conduct physical headcounts and roll calls of all academic staff, identifying those present and performing their duties and those absent due to participation in the strike. He further ordered that salaries be withheld from striking lecturers while exempting members of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), who are not part of the industrial action.
The Education Minister also instructed the NUC to monitor compliance with the directive and submit a consolidated report to the Ministry of Education within seven days. “Please, treat this matter with utmost urgency and a deep sense of responsibility in the national interest,” the circular urged.
The directive came as the Federal Government reaffirmed that it had met all of ASUU’s key demands, insisting that there was “no justification” for the latest strike. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Alausa said the government had fulfilled every item raised by the union through continuous engagement and budgetary commitment.
“We have addressed every single request by ASUU; there is no need for this strike,” Alausa said. “We need to keep our children in school. If there is any group of people that I have met with the most since I assumed this position, it is ASUU.”
The minister dismissed suggestions that the government had been sluggish in implementing agreements, citing major interventions already completed or underway. He explained that the N50 billion arrears of earned academic allowances (EAA) had been paid months ago on the approval of President Bola Tinubu, and the allowances had now been mainstreamed into lecturers’ salaries, ensuring that such arrears would not recur.
He added that the long-standing Needs Assessment fund, which had remained unresolved for nearly two decades, had also been addressed. “The President approved N150 billion for the needs assessment programme in the 2026 budget. Fifty billion naira of that has already been released. The President promised to release it in three tranches, and the first is sitting in the account right now,” Alausa said.
On other issues, such as promotion arrears and postgraduate supervision allowances, the minister noted that those had been either paid or scheduled for payment in the 2026 appropriation budget. “We have resolved what caused the arrears. For us not to dispose of the money, it is ASUU that is holding those disbursements,” he stated.
Dr. Alausa reiterated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to maintaining a fair and transparent relationship with all labour unions, particularly within the education sector. “President Tinubu is committed to ensuring stability in the university system. His instructions are clear: our universities must remain open, and lecturers must be treated with respect and fairness,” he said.
However, the Federal Government’s tough stance comes amid ASUU’s nationwide warning strike, which began on Monday, October 13, following the union’s announcement on Sunday night. The union’s demands include the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement, payment of withheld 3½ months’ salaries, sustainable funding and revitalisation of public universities, and cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in certain institutions such as LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.
Other items on ASUU’s list are the payment of outstanding 25–35% salary arrears, promotion arrears spanning four years, and the release of withheld third-party deductions, including cooperative contributions and union dues.
Despite these demands, the education minister maintained that the Federal Government had already addressed most of them and accused the union of “shifting the goalposts.” “There is no moral or financial basis for this strike. The government has fulfilled its part, and we are asking our university lecturers to fulfil theirs by returning to the classrooms,” Alausa stressed.
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