ASUU Threatens Fresh Strike at Niger Delta University Over Unmet Agreements

The Academic Staff Union of Universities at Niger Delta University has warned that the school may face an indefinite strike. The union, known as ASUU-NDU, accused the Bayelsa State Government of failing to keep important promises made after the last strike ended.

Lectures and other academic activities are still taking place at Niger Delta University. The lecturers have not stopped work yet.

However, the union said its members are ready to lay down their tools once the national leadership of ASUU gives approval for a new strike. This means the university is still open, but the threat of another shutdown is real.

The Chairman of ASUU-NDU, Lucky Oyinkepreye, spoke to journalists at the university’s Amassoma campus. He explained how the dispute reached its present point.

The branch suspended its previous strike in December 2024. A Memorandum of Understanding, known as an MoU, was later signed in February 2025.

Since then, Oyinkepreye said the union has continued to hold talks with the Bayelsa State Government. The meetings were meant to ensure that the promises in the agreement were carried out.

He said the university management has taken action on some parts of the MoU that do not require money. However, the financial commitments have not been fulfilled.

This is the heart of the dispute. The union says it has continued to engage the government, but the money-related promises remain unpaid. The lecturers believe they have waited, spoken and written enough; yet the main welfare issues are still open.

Oyinkepreye listed the outstanding demands. One is the implementation of the Consolidated Academic Salary Structure and the allowances linked to it.

The union is also demanding payment of salary arrears. These are salaries that should have been paid earlier but remain outstanding.

Another demand concerns arrears connected to the 25 to 35 per cent wage award. ASUU-NDU said the money owed under that award has not been fully settled.

The branch also wants professors’ allowances to be paid. In addition, it raised the need for proper staff housing for lecturers.

Oyinkepreye said Niger Delta University has existed for many years, yet it still has no dedicated accommodation for staff. This forces many lecturers to travel between Yenagoa and Amassoma every day.

Daily travel can take time, cost money and add stress to the lives of lecturers. The union sees staff housing as a serious welfare need, not a luxury.

Oyinkepreye argued that Bayelsa State has enough resources to meet these obligations because it is an oil-producing state. He believes the government should be able to provide the payments and support promised to university workers.

He also compared Bayelsa with other states. According to him, some state universities with smaller budgets have already started paying similar benefits to their staff.

For the union, this comparison makes the delay harder to accept. If states with less money can begin payment, ASUU-NDU believes an oil-producing state should not continue leaving its lecturers without the agreed entitlements.

The chairman said the union has formally informed Governor Douye Diri about the unresolved issues. It has also notified the management of Niger Delta University.

ASUU’s national body has already reviewed whether the NDU branch is ready to begin strike action. The branch is now waiting for the final decision from the national leadership.

Until that decision comes, lecturers will remain in their classrooms and continue their academic work. They will teach, guide students and perform their normal duties.

But the situation is tense. A national approval could move the branch from warning to an indefinite strike, and that could stop academic activities at the university.

Students are already worried. Many fear that another strike will break the academic calendar and delay their studies again.

David Goodness, a 400-level medical student, said a fresh strike would push graduation further away. He pointed out that earlier strikes had already caused delays for students.

For a medical student in the fourth year, another long break can be deeply painful. The student may remain in school longer than planned, while the date of graduation moves further into the future.

Esther Alaere and Kenegwa Ayibanua expressed similar fears. They warned that another shutdown would create more financial pressure for parents.

When a school closes because of a strike, many costs do not simply disappear. Families may face extra spending when the academic calendar changes and students remain in school longer than expected.

The two students also warned about the effect on academic progress and mental health. Repeated breaks can weaken study plans, disturb learning and leave students uncertain about when their programmes will end.

Goodness, Alaere and Ayibanua all asked ASUU and the Bayelsa State Government to settle the dispute through dialogue.

Their message was simple. The two sides should talk, honour fair agreements and stop the problem before students are forced to pay the price.

The conflict at Niger Delta University is part of a wider concern in Nigerian public universities. Questions about funding, unpaid benefits and staff welfare continue to cause tension across the system.

When agreements are signed but not fully implemented, trust begins to break. Lecturers feel ignored, students fear disruption and parents face another round of worry.

Stakeholders have continued to call for steady dialogue and full implementation of agreements. They believe these steps are needed to protect academic activities from repeated interruption.

For now, Niger Delta University remains open. Lectures are continuing, and academic work has not stopped.

Yet the warning remains. ASUU-NDU says its members are ready for an indefinite strike once the national body gives approval. The Bayelsa State Government still has a chance to act before classrooms become silent again.