ASUU strike hits UNIZIK, NANS seeks intervention in Nasarawa varsity

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has commenced an indefinite strike at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, over the non-payment of the full August 2026 salary, while students have appealed for government intervention to end the prolonged industrial action at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

The UNIZIK ASUU chapter withdrew academic and administrative services on Monday in compliance with the union’s directive on unpaid salaries, saying members had experienced delays in the payment of their salaries more than three times.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students has called on the Nasarawa State Government to urgently settle outstanding arrears owed to staff of NSUK to facilitate the resolution of the dispute and enable students to return to campus.

The NANS appeal came during an engagement with the university management on Tuesday, as the students’ body also urged its members to remain calm and avoid actions that could further disrupt academic activities.

ASUU has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the federal and state governments fail to address outstanding issues concerning the implementation of agreements reached with the union in 2026, including the payment of earned academic allowances and other unresolved conditions of service.

The union has warned that failure to meet its demands could trigger industrial action across federal and state universities.

In a press statement jointly signed by the Chairperson of the ASUU UNIZIK chapter, Innocent Nnubia, and the Secretary, Osita Nnajiofor, which was released to journalists on Monday, the association said it had resolved to withdraw its services in compliance with the standing “Resolution of ASUU National Executive Council” on non-payment of salaries.

It therefore urged the university authorities and Visitor, President Bola Tinubu, to urgently address the situation by ensuring the full payment of the August 2026 salary to its members and ensuring that the situation did not recur.

The statement read, “The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU-UNIZIK Branch, at its congress held today, Monday, September 7, 2026, resolved to withdraw its services in compliance with the standing Resolution of ASUU National Executive Council on non-payment of salaries.

“The ASUU-NEC standing resolution empowers branches of the union to withdraw their services when salaries are not paid after the third day of the next month.

“Today is 7th September 2026, and the university has not paid the complete salary for August to our members.

“This makes it more than three times that our members are having this ugly and frustrating experience.

“The sole reason for this action is the non-payment of the complete salary for August 2026. We therefore implore University Authorities and the Visitor (President Bola Tinubu) to urgently address the situation by ensuring the complete payment of August 2026 salary to our members and ensure that this ugly experience does not repeat itself.

“The congress resolution directs as follows that all members should immediately withdraw all academic and administrative services. The withdrawal of services shall subsist until the complete payment of August 2026 salary to all members.”

When contacted over the development, the Director of Information and Public Relations, UNIZIK, Aloysius Attah, simply said, “No comment.”

Meanwhile, NANS has called on the Nasarawa State Government to urgently intervene and settle outstanding arrears owed to staff of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

The university ASUU branch had, on August 10, declared a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike over alleged unpaid entitlements amounting to billions of Naira.

The National Treasurer of NANS and Head of NANS in Nasarawa State, Idris Omeiza, made the call on Tuesday during an engagement between the leadership of the students association and the management of NSUK, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, at the university campus.

Omeiza acknowledged the frustrations of students over the prolonged disruption of academic activities, but urged them to remain calm, patient and peaceful while consultations continued to end the strike.

“We call on the government of Nasarawa State, as a matter of urgency, to intervene and settle the outstanding arrears owed to university staff to facilitate the resolution of the industrial dispute and enable students to return to campus,” the NANS Treasurer said.

Our correspondent reports that the meeting followed the NSUK vice-chancellor’s appeal to NANS to help calm students and discourage a planned protest over the prolonged disruption.

Earlier, while addressing the delegation, the VC, Prof Liman, assured that the university management and the ASUU had reached an understanding on the payment of outstanding staff arrears.

She expressed optimism that the government would settle the obligations to enable full resumption.

“Efforts will be intensified to ensure that students are called back to campus to resume academic activities and continue their session.

“I appeal to students to remain patient and embrace dialogue while the issues are being resolved,” she said.

Also present at the meeting, the Divisional Police Officer of Angwan Lambu Police Station urged students to channel their grievances through peaceful and lawful means, while the Director, Department of State Services, Keffi, emphasised the need for student leaders to consider the security implications of mass gatherings and prevent the hijacking of legitimate concerns by persons with ulterior motives.