Professor Christopher Piwuna announced the ultimatum on Thursday while speaking at a public lecture at Sa’adu Zungur University, Yuli Campus. The salary agreement, concluded in December 2025, was originally scheduled to take effect from January 2026 but has yet to be honoured.
“We have issued a four-day ultimatum from today to the Federal Government to begin the payment of the newly approved salary structure. Failure to comply will attract a strong response from the union,” Piwuna said, citing the government’s repeated delays in honouring prior agreements as a source of persistent industrial unrest.
In the same address, Piwuna expressed opposition to plans for establishing a branch of Coventry University in Nigeria, describing it as a form of educational colonialism that could undermine the relevance and quality of Nigerian universities. He urged the government to focus on improving domestic institutions in partnership with ASUU rather than opening foreign branches amid declining global admission rates.
The ultimatum follows recent industrial actions, including the March 11, 2026 directive for members in some branches to withdraw services over delayed June 2025 salary arrears and complications associated with the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System transition.
ASUU’s latest demand coincides with broader labour tensions in the public sector, as federal civil servants outside the union threatened nationwide strikes on March 25 over outstanding wage awards. Observers say the escalating pressure highlights the ongoing challenges in resolving wage disputes and modernising Nigeria’s higher education remuneration framework.