UNIUYO ASUU Joins Nationwide Protest, Demands Dignity and Better Salaries for Lecturers
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Uyo (UNIUYO) branch, on Tuesday joined the ongoing nationwide protest organized by the union, demanding improved welfare and respect for Nigerian lecturers.
The demonstration, which drew professors and senior lecturers, saw protesters marching across the university’s town campus, annex, and Ikpa Road. They carried placards with inscriptions such as “Our salaries are too poor,” “Pay us sustainable living wages,” “Treat lecturers with dignity,” and “Government, please implement the renegotiated agreement.”
The protest disrupted academic activities across the institution’s three campuses. All examinations scheduled for Tuesday, August 26, 2025, including Computer-Based Tests (CBT), were suspended as the union insisted that the Federal Government must act urgently.
Speaking during the protest, UNIUYO ASUU Chairperson, Prof. Opeyemi Olajide, expressed frustration that lecturers in federal universities have been earning the same salary for over 16 years despite the country’s rising cost of living. He lamented that the government had failed to honor the renegotiated 2009 agreement or review lecturers’ salaries since 2012.
Olajide also criticized the government for withholding third-party deductions and promotion arrears, describing the act as deliberate neglect. He warned that if their demands are ignored, the union may have no choice but to embark on an indefinite strike.
“The Federal Government is treating lecturers with disdain. We have been on the same salary for 16 years. Infrastructure is collapsing in public universities, salaries are withheld, and yet we are still expected to keep teaching. Enough is enough,” Olajide said while addressing students.
Former branch chairman, Dr. Nwachukwu Anyim, also condemned the government for considering salary increases for political office holders while ignoring lecturers who have endured stagnation for over a decade. He described the move as “wicked and hypocritical,” noting that politicians already earn excessive pay while education is left to crumble.
Anyim added that despite unpaid salaries, lecturers still teach and supervise students, emphasizing that their sacrifice should not be taken for granted. He warned that those in power should remember that “power is transient.”
The protest highlights ASUU’s long-standing grievances, including poor salaries, lack of infrastructure funding, and the government’s failure to implement agreements. With tensions rising, the possibility of another prolonged nationwide strike looms if urgent solutions are not provided.
