The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Federal University Otuoke (ASUU-FUO), joined the nationwide protests organized by the national ASUU body on August 26, 2025, to press the Federal Government for urgent action on longstanding demands affecting Nigerian public universities. Across the country, ASUU chapters rallied to demand the signing of the 2009 renegotiated agreement, payment of salary arrears, and resolution of third-party deductions, warning that failure to act could lead to a nationwide strike.
In a press briefing held on Tuesday August 26, 2025 at the ASUU-FUO Postgraduate Conference Hall in Otuoke Bayelsa State, Chairperson of ASUU-FUO, Comrade Bruno Yammeluan Ikuli, reiterated its core demands. These include the immediate signing of the 2009 ASUU-FGN renegotiated agreement, provision of sustainable funding for public universities, revitalization of the university system, payment of 25–35% salary arrears, clearance of over four years of promotion arrears, and an end to victimization of academics—particularly in institutions such as Lagos State University (LASU), Prince Abubakar Audu University, and the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO).
ASUU-FUO lamented the declining state of Nigerian universities, describing the sector as being on a “wrong and downward track” that threatens national development. The union noted how the once-revered academic profession has been reduced to “survival mode,” with lecturers forced to engage in petty trading and small-scale farming to supplement inadequate incomes.
Highlighting decades of neglect, including the negative effects of the 1980s Structural Adjustment Programme and worsening economic conditions, ASUU-FUO criticized successive governments for failing to prioritize education and support university lecturers. The union contrasted lecturers’ salary structure (CONUASS) with that of medical professionals (CONMESS), emphasizing the gross disparities despite academics’ critical role in training the nation’s skilled workforce.
The union called for a national shift from “Operation Land to School” to prioritize investment in education, innovation, and knowledge as drivers of economic growth and development.
Following the press briefing, ASUU-FUO members staged a peaceful protest march from the Postgraduate Conference Hall to the office of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Teddy Charles Adias, and other key locations on campus to highlight their demands and the deteriorating state of university education.
Professor Adias addressed the protesting lecturers, acknowledging their concerns and assuring that their demands would be communicated to the appropriate authorities. He pledged his commitment to supporting efforts aimed at improving staff welfare and the overall state of the university.
