UNIBEN lecturers shut down campus in protest over FG’s failure to honour 2009 ASUU agreement .
ASUU President Dr. Chris Piwuna warns of looming nationwide strike over unpaid salaries
The University of Benin (UNIBEN) was thrown into disarray on Tuesday as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) staged a mass protest over the Federal Government’s prolonged refusal to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement. The action, which lasted several hours, paralyzed academic and administrative activities on campus.
According to The Nation, lecturers carried placards with inscriptions such as “Education is the Future, Fund It!” and “16 Years Without Review is Injustice.” They marched in solidarity to the Vice Chancellor’s office, demanding immediate government intervention.
Why ASUU is Protesting
The 2009 ASUU-FG agreement, originally designed to improve university funding, salaries, research facilities, and working conditions, has become a recurring source of conflict between lecturers and the government. According to UNIBEN ASUU Chairman, Dr. Ray Chikogu, the agreement should have been reviewed multiple times since it was signed, but successive administrations have failed to act.
“For sixteen years, Nigerian lecturers have been on the same salary structure. This has never happened anywhere else in the world. We are professionals, yet our welfare is treated with contempt. It is disheartening that other countries are investing in education while Nigeria continues to underfund it,” Dr. Chikogu said.
He added that ASUU’s struggle is not only about salaries but about saving Nigeria’s universities from total collapse.
National Implications
The protest at UNIBEN is part of a larger wave of agitation spreading across public universities in Nigeria. Similar demonstrations have been reported at Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA), Alex Ekwueme Federal University, and other campuses nationwide.
Observers warn that if the Federal Government fails to meet ASUU’s demands, the country could witness another nationwide strike—similar to the eight-month industrial action in 2020 that crippled higher education and disrupted the academic calendar.
Education analysts note that Nigeria allocates less than 8% of its annual budget to education, far below the UNESCO-recommended 15–20%. This underfunding continues to fuel disputes between university lecturers and the government.
Students React
Many students expressed frustration at the disruption but admitted that their lecturers’ concerns were valid.
“I just resumed this semester, and now there’s a protest again. We are the ones who suffer most when academic calendars are disrupted,” said Sandra Ugbogbo, a 300-level student of Mass Communication.
Another student, Michael Adewale, studying Engineering, noted: “Our lecturers deserve better. If the government fails to act, we’ll be stuck at home again like in 2020.”
Government Response
The protesters were received by UNIBEN’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Victor Igbineweka, and Registrar, Mr. Ademola Bobola, who assured them that their grievances would be formally communicated to the Federal Government.
While the Ministry of Education has not issued an official statement as of press time, sources within the union hint that ASUU may escalate its actions if the government remains silent.
The ongoing tension between ASUU and the Federal Government highlights the chronic challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector: inadequate funding, outdated infrastructure, brain drain among academics, and unstable academic calendars.
For parents and students, the uncertainty raises fears about the quality and future of higher education in Nigeria. For ASUU, the protest is a fight for dignity, fairness, and survival of the academic system.
As Dr. Chikogu summarized:
“We are not asking for luxuries. We are asking the government to keep its word and save our universities. Education cannot wait.”