The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the Federal Government a four-day ultimatum to commence immediate implementation of the newly approved salary structure for university lecturers nationwide.

ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, announced the decision on Thursday while speaking at a public lecture held at Sa’adu Zungur University, Yuli Campus, in Bauchi State.

Piwuna said the agreement on the revised salary package was reached in December 2025, with implementation scheduled to begin in January 2026, but lamented that the government has yet to act.

“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,” he stated.

He decried what he described as the Federal Government’s persistent failure to honour agreements with the union, a trend he said has repeatedly triggered disputes and industrial actions.

The ASUU president also criticised plans to establish a branch of Coventry University in Nigeria, following President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to London. He argued that the move could undermine the growth and relevance of Nigerian universities.

Describing the proposal as a form of “educational colonialism,” Piwuna maintained that ASUU would resist the initiative, urging the government instead to partner with the union to strengthen local institutions.

He further noted that the planned expansion comes at a time when the foreign institution is facing declining admission applications globally.

The ultimatum comes amid ongoing tensions between ASUU and the government. On March 11, 2026, the union directed some of its branches to embark on strike over delays in the payment of June 2025 salary arrears and challenges linked to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

ASUU had also issued multiple ultimatums in late 2025, including 14-day and one-month notices, pressing for the renegotiation and full implementation of the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, other federal civil servants have also threatened nationwide industrial action over unpaid wage awards, underscoring growing labour unrest across the public sector.