Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Stone Reporters team did a walk around Lagos to confirm that ASUU has embarked on a total, comprehensive, indefinite strike across all three Lagos State-owned universities, immediately halting academic activities and leaving thousands of students stranded.The decision, taken on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at separate branch congresses of the union, affects Lagos State University in Ojo, Lagos State University of Education in Oto Ijanikin, and Lagos State University of Science and Technology in Ikorodu. The strike took effect immediately and will remain in force until the state government engages the union meaningfully and signs, domesticates, and implements the applicable provisions of the December 2025 agreement reached with the Federal Government.
The union's principal demand is the full domestication and implementation of the December 2025 ASUU Federal Government agreement across all Lagos State-owned universities. This includes the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance and critical welfare protections for both active and retired academic staff. ASUU had issued a fourteen-day ultimatum to the Lagos State Government on August 31, 2026, warning that industrial action would follow if the government failed to act. The union issued a final warning on September 10, stating explicitly that silence was no longer an option and that continued inaction could no longer be sustained. The state government nevertheless allowed the September 13 deadline to expire without initiating dialogue or presenting a concrete implementation plan.
In a joint statement signed by the Coordinator of the ASUU-LASU Steering Committee, Olusegun Babalola, the Acting Chairman of ASUU-LASUED, Grace Abimbola, and the Chairman of ASUU-LASUSTECH, Murisiku Onigemo, the union said the decision was taken with a heavy heart, fully conscious of its implications for the academic calendar and the wider university community. The statement, titled Expiration of Ultimatum: ASUU Declares Total, Indefinite Strike Across Lagos State-owned Universities, accused the government of disregarding agreements that neighbouring states had already implemented. The union pointed out that Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Abia, and Enugu states have domesticated and implemented the agreement, and questioned why Lagos State, with its enormous resources and strategic importance to Nigeria's educational development, would choose inaction where others have demonstrated commitment.
The lecturers disclosed that the entire process leading to the strike had the full backing of the ASUU national leadership. This unwavering support covers every strategic step taken by the branches, beginning with formal letters written to the university administrations, the governing councils and the Visitor, through to the issuance of the fourteen-day ultimatum. The union said its national leadership expected the Lagos State Government to follow the example of other state governors who acted swiftly to resolve similar disputes to the advantage of their respective universities and staff. The lecturers said they had exercised restraint and repeatedly sought constructive engagement over the past eight months before resorting to the strike, and placed responsibility for the disruption of academic activities squarely on the state government.
The strike has left students, parents and the wider university community grappling with uncertainty. ASUU acknowledged the impact of the action on students, saying the fight is fundamentally about preserving the quality and sustainability of their education. The union stated that a demoralised faculty cannot provide the world-class standard of learning that students deserve, and urged them to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while efforts to secure a permanent resolution continue. To parents and guardians, the union expressed deep sympathy for the anxieties caused by delays in their children's educational journeys, noting that securing a stable and well-funded tertiary education system today guarantees a better future for their children tomorrow.
The union also appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, alumni associations, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support what it described as a rescue mission for Lagos State education. It said the strike was not directed at the management of the three universities, and commended them for their efforts towards the domestication of the agreement. ASUU maintained that the strike would not be suspended merely on the basis of promises, insisting that there must be meaningful engagement and a satisfactory resolution before academic activities could resume. The union said it remained entirely committed to constructive dialogue and to the swift restoration of normal academic activities as soon as the outstanding issues are addressed.
The Lagos State dispute comes amid a broader wave of industrial actions across Nigerian universities. Lecturers in at least eighteen other state-owned institutions have embarked on strikes over similar demands, including the non-implementation of the 2025 agreement and unpaid entitlements. Just days before the Lagos strike, ASUU threatened nationwide industrial action over the federal government's failure to fully implement the December 2025 agreement. The union also raised concerns about the implementation of the agreement in state-owned universities, warning that the situation could escalate if governors fail to act. In Taraba State, the ASUU branch of Taraba State University has issued a fourteen-day ultimatum to the state government over the non-implementation of key provisions of the 2025 agreement, with the notice running from September 14 to September 28, 2026.
The Lagos State strike marks a significant escalation in the long-running dispute between the union and the state government. The closure of three universities has far-reaching consequences not just for the students and staff, but for the wider economy and society. Universities are engines of research, innovation and human capital development, and their prolonged closure undermines the state's investment in education and its reputation as a centre of academic excellence. As the standoff continues, the people of Lagos State and the wider academic community are left to wonder whether the government will finally engage with the union or whether the strike will drag on, further disrupting the academic calendar and deepening the frustration of a generation of students whose futures hang in the balance.
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