The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a four-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding immediate implementation of the newly approved salary structure for university lecturers.

The union’s President, Christopher Piwuna, made this known during a visit to Sa’adu Zungur University, Yuli campus, warning that failure to meet the deadline would trigger a “strong response” from the union.

“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today… Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” Piwuna stated, signaling rising tensions within Nigeria’s public university system.

The ultimatum comes just three months after ASUU and the Federal Government reached a renegotiated agreement in January, aimed at resolving long-standing disputes that have plagued the education sector. Central to the agreement was a revised salary structure intended to address issues stemming from the partially implemented 2009 FG-ASUU agreement.

However, despite initial optimism that industrial actions could be avoided, implementation has stalled—raising fresh concerns across the sector.

Piwuna revealed that several federal universities struggled to pay full salaries for January, while February payments remain largely outstanding, deepening frustration among academic staff.

The situation recently escalated at the University of Lagos, where lecturers briefly embarked on an indefinite strike over salary shortfalls before suspending the action following intervention and negotiations with management.

ASUU attributed the delays primarily to logistical and financial constraints, particularly the late passage of the 2026 national budget, which is critical for funding the new salary structure.

With the ultimatum now in effect, pressure is mounting on the Federal Government to act swiftly. Stakeholders warn that failure to resolve the issue within the stipulated timeframe could push Nigeria’s already fragile university system toward another round of disruptive industrial action.