Three Lagos State-owned universities could face fresh industrial action as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Lagos Zone, warned of a possible shutdown over the state government’s failure to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement.
The warning came during a press conference on Thursday at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology, LASUSTECH. The union accused the state government of ignoring lecturers’ welfare despite months of talks and engagements.
The affected institutions are Lagos State University, LASU, Lagos State University of Education, LASUED, and LASUSTECH.
ASUU said it would support any action taken by its branches in the three universities if the government continues to delay implementing the agreement six months after it was signed.
Speaking at the briefing, ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Adesola Nassir, said lecturers now feel abandoned and are unsure of the government’s commitment to their welfare.
“How can a government demand world-class university rankings while failing to create world-class conditions for academic work? How can excellence flourish where welfare remains uncertain? How can innovation thrive amid recurring industrial tension?” he asked.
Nassir said it was unacceptable that Lagos State, known as the “Centre of Excellence,” was lagging behind other states that had already started implementing the agreement.
“No government can legitimately claim excellence while the intellectual workforce responsible for producing excellence experiences prolonged uncertainty over agreed welfare commitments,” he said.
The union said the delay was already hurting staff morale and could lead to lower academic standards, instability in the universities and disruption of academic activities.
“Where staff begins to feel despondent, as is now the case at LASU, LASUSTECH and LASUED, management of the system becomes problematic and this triggers institutional decline… inclusive of staff apathy, ethical drift, reduced graduate quality and eventually disruption in academic calendar,” Nassir stated.
ASUU also raised concerns over unresolved disputes at LASU and LASUED, including the dismissal of some union officials and the alleged victimisation of the ASUU chairperson at LASUED.
“Government, not ASUU, should be held responsible if all universities belonging to Lagos State are thrown into avoidable crises or totally shut down on account of poor response of the Government to the concerns of our members,” Nassir declared.
The union urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to step in by concluding talks with its branches in the affected institutions and implementing the 2025 agreement without further delay to prevent what it described as “brewing unrest” across Lagos State-owned universities.
