The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s decision to enforce the “No Work, No Pay” policy against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), calling it an intimidation tactic that fails to address the real problems in Nigeria’s university system.
In a statement released on Monday, NLC President Joe Ajaero said ASUU’s two-week warning strike was a justifiable reaction to the government’s repeated failure to fulfill agreements it voluntarily entered into with lecturers and other education unions.
“The two-week warning strike by ASUU is a direct consequence of the Federal Government’s refusal to honour collectively bargained agreements,” Ajaero stated. “This action is a necessary response to the neglect of a vital sector of our society.”
Ajaero rejected the government’s attempt to implement the “No Work, No Pay” policy, describing it as an unfair distortion of the facts.
“The real breach lies with the government, not the lecturers. These scholars are ready to work, but the government has made it impossible for them to do so with dignity and under fair conditions,” he said.
The NLC also argued that the crisis reflects deep inequality in the nation’s education system, noting that while the children of the elite attend well-funded private or foreign schools, those of ordinary Nigerians are left in deteriorating public institutions.
“This educational divide restricts social mobility and entrenches inequality,” the statement read. “A properly funded and respected public education system is key to Nigeria’s development.”
Reaffirming its support for ASUU, the NLC urged the government to address the lecturers’ grievances rather than resort to punitive measures.
“The struggle of ASUU is our struggle. The fight for public education is a fight for the nation’s future. We will not allow these unions to stand alone,” Ajaero said.
The dispute comes after the Federal Government, through a circular dated October 13, 2025, directed vice-chancellors of federal universities to enforce the “No Work, No Pay” policy. The memo, signed by Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, was copied to key federal agencies including the Head of Civil Service, the Accountant-General, and the National Universities Commission.
The renewed clash between ASUU and the government adds to decades of tension over unpaid entitlements, unfulfilled agreements, and chronic underfunding of Nigeria’s public universities.
