The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is pushing back hard against the Federal Government’s plan to enforce a “No Work, No Pay” policy on striking university lecturers.
Labeling the move as intimidation, the NLC argues it will do nothing to fix the deep-seated issues plaguing Nigeria’s higher education system.
In a statement released on Monday, October 13, NLC President Joe Ajaero asserted that the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) two-week warning strike is “a legitimate and necessary response” to the government’s repeated failure to uphold agreements previously made with the union.
Ajaero criticized the Federal Government, stating that its refusal to implement voluntarily signed agreements with lecturers and other education sector workers has continuously weakened public universities.
“The commencement of a two-week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a direct consequence of the Federal Government’s refusal to honour collectively bargained agreements,” the NLC stated, adding, “This action is a necessary response to the neglect of a fundamental pillar of our society.”
He explicitly faulted the government’s “No Work, No Pay” strategy, insisting it distorts the true nature of the dispute.
“The breach of contract lies with the state, not the scholars,” Ajaero declared.
He further explained, “The lecturers are willing to work, but the government, by reneging on its commitments, has made it impossible for them to do so with the dignity and conditions their profession deserves.”
According to the congress, this ongoing struggle is more than just an industrial dispute; it starkly reveals the profound inequalities embedded within Nigeria’s education system.
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The NLC highlighted a grim reality: while children of the privileged attend expensive private or overseas institutions, the offspring of ordinary citizens are left to navigate a chronically underfunded public system.
“This creates an educational divide that limits social mobility and perpetuates inequality,” the NLC warned, emphasizing that an educated populace is fundamental to national progress.
Reaffirming its unwavering solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, the NLC urged the Federal Government to promptly address the critical issues outlined in the agreements.
The NLC also issued a stern warning: if the government fails to respond after the two-week strike, the Congress will call an emergency meeting with its affiliate unions.
“The struggle of ASUU is our struggle,” the statement concluded, adding a powerful message: “The fight for public education is a fight for Nigeria’s future. We will no longer allow these unions to stand alone.”
Meanwhile, ASUU’s two-week warning strike is officially underway.
Coinciding with the strike’s start, the Federal Government instructed vice-chancellors of all federal universities nationwide to rigorously apply the “no work, no pay” policy to ASUU members involved in the ongoing industrial action.
This directive was formalised in a circular dated October 13, 2025, bearing the signature of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Copies of the circular were distributed to key officials, including the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Permanent Secretary of Education, Pro-Chancellors of all federal universities, the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission.