ASUU Resumes Indefinite Strike at Taraba State University: A Deep Dive into the Grievances and Implications

Introduction

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has resumed an indefinite industrial action at Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo. This decisive move, announced in February 2026, follows the union’s assertion that the Taraba State Government has failed to fully implement a settlement agreement originally reached on January 17, 2025. The strike’s resumption, which coincides with significant religious periods for both Christian (Lent) and Muslim (Ramadan) communities, underscores the deepening crisis in Nigeria’s public university system, particularly at the state level. This article provides a detailed, verifiable, and SEO-optimized examination of the situation, exploring the core issues, historical background, and practical consequences for all stakeholders. We will analyze the specific failures cited by ASUU, including pension scheme implementation, salary arrears, Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), and the broader 2025 ASUU-Federal Government Agreement. Our goal is to offer a pedagogical resource that clarifies the complex interplay between labor rights, educational funding, and governmental responsibility in Nigeria.

Key Points

Background: The ASUU, TSU, and the 2025 Agreement

Understanding ASUU and Its Mandate

The Academic Staff Union of Universities is the recognized labor union for academic staff in Nigerian public universities. Its historical role involves advocating for improved working conditions, university funding, and the welfare of its members. ASUU is known for its militant stance, having embarked on numerous nationwide and chapter-specific strikes over decades, often framing its actions as a defense of the integrity of Nigeria’s public university education system.

The Genesis of the Current Dispute: The January 2025 Settlement

The immediate precursor to the current strike was an earlier, indefinite strike action by ASUU at TSU. To allow for dialogue, this strike was suspended in “good faith” based on a settlement agreement signed on January 17, 2025. This agreement was intended to resolve a cascade of long-standing issues affecting TSU academic staff. The suspension was a conciliatory gesture, granting the Taraba State Government a window to fulfill its obligations. The period between January 2025 and February 2026 represents a prolonged phase of what ASUU now calls unfulfilled promises.

The 2025 ASUU-FGN Agreement and Its State Implementation

A critical point of contention is the non-implementation of the “newly negotiated ASUU-FGN agreement of 2025.” This refers to a national agreement reached between the federal government and ASUU, which typically sets benchmarks for salary adjustments, allowance structures, and other welfare terms. While this agreement is directly binding on federal universities, state governments are often expected to adopt its financial components for state-owned institutions to maintain parity and prevent a collapse of the public university system. The Taraba State Government’s failure to adopt this agreement for TSU staff is a major grievance, effectively leaving them behind their federal counterparts.

Analysis: Deconstructing the Four Pillars of Grievance

ASUU’s statement is precise, listing four non-negotiable areas of failure. A breakdown of each reveals the systemic nature of the dispute.

1. The Absence of a Functional Pension Scheme

This is a fundamental issue of long-term financial security. In Nigeria, university staff, like other public servants, are typically covered by the Pension Reform Act and administered through the Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) system. A “functional” pension scheme implies active, consistent remittance of contributions by both employer (the state government) and employee to a PFA. The failure to establish or activate this scheme means staff are working without a guaranteed retirement benefit, a severe breach of employment norms. It creates anxiety and discourages long-term commitment to the institution. The government’s inaction here suggests a disregard for the post-service welfare of its academic workforce.

2. Backlog of Outstanding Salaries

Salary arrears are a chronic problem in many Nigerian state-owned institutions due to erratic oil revenues and poor fiscal management. The “backlog” refers to unpaid salaries for months, sometimes years. This directly impacts the livelihoods of lecturers, forcing them into debt, affecting their ability to meet basic needs, and destroying morale. It is a primary catalyst for industrial unrest. ASUU’s emphasis on this point highlights the immediate humanitarian crisis among its members. Verifying the exact number of months owed would require access to payroll records, but the union’s collective claim is a standard starting point for negotiations.

3. Unsettled Accumulated Earned Academic Allowances (EAA)

EAA is a specific allowance designed to compensate academic staff for work performed beyond