16 Times ASUU has gone on strike since 1999

It is no longer news that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) recently embarked on a nationwide strike, which is expected to last for a period of four weeks.

The strike was declared by the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, on  February 14, 2022. He noted that the union tried to avoid the strike but the Federal Government was unresponsive to the union’s demands.

This is however not the first time the Academic body is embarking on a round of industrial action over the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MOA) signed with the Federal Government in 2009.

The incessant ASUU strike is one major factor that has contributed to damaging the Nigerian educational sector, these are the 16 times ASUU has gone on strike since 1999.

1. 1999

ASUU embarked on a nationwide strike in 1999,  due to the failure of negotiations between the union and the federal government over the working conditions in Nigerian universities. This was shortly after  the Obasanjo-Atiku administration was sworn-in, The strike however lasted for five months

2. 2001

ASUU embarked on a strike in 2001, over the reinstatement of 49 lecturers sacked at the University of Ilorin. The industrial action was aggravated when the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo described Nigerian university lecturers as “a bunch of lazy and ungrateful people” The strike was called off after three months.

3. 2002

The Academic union embarked on another strike in December 2002, over the failure of the Obasanjo administration to implement an agreement they had with the union during the previous strike. The strike lasted for only two weeks.

4. 2003

In 2003, Nigerian university undergraduates had to stay at home again for six months as ASUU embarked on another industrial action due to the non-implementation of previous agreements, which covers poor university funding and disparity in salary and retirement age.

5. 2005

Nigerian university students again experienced another disruption in their academic calendars as universities lecturers went on another industrial action. According to the Guardian, the lecturers went on strike for just two weeks.

6. 2006

In April 2006 academic activities were paralysed in all public universities across the country when ASUU declared a 3-day warning strike. It eventually lasted for one week.

7. 2007

The 2006 industrial action was followed by another on March 26, 2007. The strike lasted for three months. The reasons for the strike was pretty much the same reasons for the previous strike.

8. 2008

ASUU went on strike again for one week in 2008. The demands included an improved salary scheme and reinstatement of 49 lecturers who were dismissed at the University of Ilorin.

9. 2009

In 2009, lecturers in public universities across the country embarked on an industrial action that lasted for four months. The strike which started in June was called off in October. Before the strike was called off, the Federal Government and the union reached an agreement. The agreement which is known as the 2009  Memorandum of Action will eventually become the reason for subsequent industrial action over the following years

10. 2010

Due to the failure of the federal government to implement the Memorandum of Action that was agreed with the union in 2009. ASUU embarked on another indefinite strike that lasted for over five months. The strike started on 22 July 2010 and was called off in January 2011.