Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Yenagoa, Nigeria — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on an industrial action across Bayelsa State-owned universities over the alleged failure of the state government to implement the 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), settle outstanding salary-related arrears and address other welfare concerns affecting academic staff.
The warning was issued by the ASUU chapter of Niger Delta University (NDU), which said the unresolved issues affect lecturers at Niger Delta University, Bayelsa Medical University and the University of Africa, Toru-Orua. The union cautioned that continued delays by the government could disrupt academic activities across the three institutions.
Speaking on behalf of the union, ASUU leaders accused the Bayelsa State Government of failing to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed on December 23, 2025, despite an understanding that its provisions would take effect from January 2026.
According to the union, one of its major demands is the implementation of the Computed Annual Teaching Allowance (CATA), which forms part of the agreement reached with the government. ASUU said repeated engagements and reminders have not yielded the desired outcome.
The lecturers also expressed dissatisfaction over the non-payment of 19 months of outstanding wage award arrears. While acknowledging that part of the arrears had been paid, the union insisted that a significant balance remains outstanding despite previous assurances that the payments would be completed.
ASUU further rejected suggestions that its demands were connected to recently approved allowances for mainstream civil servants, maintaining that the issues under dispute relate strictly to agreements reached between the union and the Bayelsa State Government.
The union also lamented the government's failure to implement commitments relating to staff housing, noting that the absence of adequate residential facilities for lecturers continues to affect staff welfare and the overall academic environment in the affected universities.
ASUU argued that Bayelsa State now has improved financial capacity and should honour its obligations to university lecturers without further delay. It urged the government to address all outstanding issues promptly in order to prevent another round of industrial action capable of disrupting the academic calendar.
The union warned that if its demands remain unresolved, lecturers may have no option but to withdraw their services in accordance with ASUU's established procedures.
The development comes amid growing concerns over the welfare of university lecturers in several parts of the country, with unions continuing to demand improved funding for tertiary education, timely payment of salaries and full implementation of agreements reached with governments.
If the dispute is not resolved through dialogue, students across Bayelsa's public universities could face another disruption to academic activities, adding to existing concerns over the stability of Nigeria's higher education sector.
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