ASUU-NAU has declared an indefinite strike over unpaid August 2026 salaries, directing lecturers to suspend academic and administrative duties.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe University branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU-NAU) has announced an indefinite withdrawal of services following the failure of the institution to pay its members their full salaries for August 2026.
The decision was taken on Monday, September 7, 2026, during a Congress meeting of the union held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
Following the resolution, members of the union were instructed to immediately suspend both academic and administrative responsibilities across the university.
The industrial action, according to the branch, will continue until the university settles the outstanding August salaries in full.
The development comes amid growing frustration among academic staff over what the union described as repeated delays in the payment of their monthly entitlements.
In a statement issued after the Congress, the branch Chairperson, Innocent Nnubia, and Secretary, Osita Nnajiofor, said the decision was taken in accordance with the standing resolution of the national leadership of ASUU concerning the non-payment of salaries.
The union explained that ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) has an existing resolution allowing branches to withdraw their services when members’ salaries are not paid within the stipulated period.
According to the university branch, the resolution provides that a branch can commence withdrawal of services where salaries remain unpaid after the third day of the succeeding month.
ASUU-NAU said that deadline had already passed, as of Monday, September 7, without members receiving their complete salaries for August.
The union therefore maintained that its action was not politically motivated or connected to any other disagreement with the university management.
Rather, it stressed that the immediate cause of the industrial action was the failure to pay members their full August 2026 salaries.
“The sole reason for this action is the non-payment of the complete salary of August 2026,” the union stated.
The branch expressed disappointment that its members had once again been subjected to what it described as an unpleasant and frustrating experience.
It noted that the current situation was not an isolated incident, claiming that members had experienced similar problems with salary payments on more than three occasions.
The repeated delays, the union argued, have created financial difficulties for university lecturers and other affected staff members who depend on their monthly salaries to meet their personal and family obligations.
ASUU-NAU consequently called on the university authorities to take immediate steps to resolve the outstanding payment and prevent the matter from escalating further.
The union also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom it identified as the Visitor to the university, to intervene in the situation.
It urged both the university management and the President to ensure that the outstanding August salaries were paid completely to all affected members.
Beyond resolving the immediate issue, ASUU-NAU called for measures that would guarantee the regular payment of salaries in the future.
The branch warned that allowing the situation to persist could further disrupt the smooth running of academic activities at the institution.
The union’s position was formally captured in the resolution reached by its Congress, which directed every member to withdraw their services with immediate effect.
“The Congress resolution directs as follows: all members should immediately withdraw all academic and administrative services,” the statement read.
The directive covers the academic and administrative duties ordinarily performed by members of the union, effectively placing a halt on their participation in the affected activities of the institution.
ASUU-NAU further clarified that there was no fixed date for the end of the industrial action.
Instead, members are expected to remain away from their duties until the university pays the complete August salary owed to them.
“The withdrawal of services shall subsist until the complete payment of August 2026 salary to all members,” the union added.
The development could have significant implications for activities at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, particularly if the dispute is not resolved quickly.
Academic activities that depend on the participation of ASUU members may be affected, while administrative processes handled by members of the union could also experience disruption.
Students and other members of the university community are therefore likely to monitor developments closely as the institution and the union seek a way out of the latest salary dispute.
The union’s decision also places pressure on the university authorities to engage with its members and find a prompt solution to the outstanding payment.
ASUU-NAU urged the relevant authorities to treat the matter as urgent, stressing the need to prevent the recurrence of what it described as an “ugly experience.”
The branch maintained that timely payment of salaries was essential to maintaining stability within the university system and ensuring that academic staff could concentrate fully on their responsibilities.
For now, the resumption of academic and administrative duties by affected ASUU members remains tied to the complete settlement of the August 2026 salary arrears.
Until that happens, the union’s directive for members to withdraw their services remains in force.
The latest development adds to the continuing concerns surrounding salary payment and industrial relations within Nigeria’s public university system, with the ASUU-NAU branch making it clear that it expects the outstanding payment to be resolved before calling off the action.
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