The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nsukka Zone, has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) if the Enugu State Government fails to implement the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government agreement on lecturers’ remuneration by the end of July.
The union said the proposed industrial action would begin if the agreement, including salary arrears dating back to January 2026, is not implemented.
Speaking during a press conference titled “End the Lamentation in Enugu State University of Science and Technology” held at the university on Tuesday, the ASUU Nsukka Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Christian Opata, described ESUT lecturers as the least paid among staff of public universities in Nigeria.
According to Opata, the poor remuneration has continued to affect staff morale and the university’s ability to attract and retain qualified academic personnel.
“We wish to inform the public that if, by the end of July 2026, the Enugu State Government fails to commence the implementation of the 2025 Agreement, the branch will have no option but to embark on an indefinite, comprehensive and total strike,” he said.
He added that the implementation should also cover arrears from January 2026, in line with what is already being implemented in other universities.
Opata explained that the 2025 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government took effect in January 2026 and was subsequently communicated to all state governments by the National Universities Commission (NUC), with vice-chancellors forwarding the agreement for implementation.
He expressed concern that ESUT remains the only university within the ASUU Nsukka Zone yet to implement the agreement.
The zone comprises Benue State University, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Federal University Lokoja, Federal University Wukari, Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Kogi State University, Anyigba, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Rejecting claims that funding constraints are responsible for the delay, Opata argued that Enugu State has the financial capacity to implement the agreement.
He cited reports from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), which indicate that the state received substantial allocations from the Federation Account during the first quarter of 2026.
He further noted that states such as Bauchi and Ogun, which reportedly received lower allocations than Enugu, have already commenced implementation of the agreement.
ASUU urged the Enugu State Government to act promptly to avert an industrial dispute that could disrupt academic activities at the university.
