Academic staff unions across multiple Nigerian states are pushing towards industrial action, with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Calabar Zone and the Gombe State University branch separately issuing warnings over unpaid entitlements, abandoned agreements, and deteriorating staff welfare.

The Calabar Zone, representing academic staff in public universities across Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, and Cross River states, warned in a statement signed by Zonal Coordinator Ikechuku Igwenyi that it could no longer guarantee industrial harmony in Abia State University, Akwa Ibom State University, Ebonyi State University, and the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS).

"This alarm is to sound out ABSU, AKSU, EBSU, and UNICROSS administrations, governing councils, and relevant government authorities that the continued neglect of staff welfare and the breach of signed agreements will definitely push these universities in the zone to the precipice of a total, comprehensive, and indefinite industrial action," the statement read.

The zone listed non payment of earned academic allowances, non implementation of the 25%/35% wage award, failure to adjust salaries in line with the new minimum wage, and non implementation of the recently signed agreement on consolidated academic tools allowance and professorial allowance as its core grievances. It also accused university administrations of withholding third party deductions, including pension contributions, cooperative savings and union dues, noting that UNICROSS had withheld such deductions since 2018.

"We can no longer be expected to maintain industrial peace while our members cannot afford the basic costs and needs of living. This is not merely a dispute over figures; it is a fight for the survival of the university system," the zonal leadership declared.

At Gombe State University, the ASUU branch congress issued a communiqué after its Wednesday meeting, signed by branch chairman Dr Mustapha Shehu and secretary Dr Aliyu Shelleng, warning that all efforts to engage the state government over outstanding entitlements had proved abortive.

The Gombe branch demanded immediate payment of the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement provisions, including the new salary table, enhanced postgraduate supervision allowance, and enhanced responsibility allowance, alongside arrears of the 25% and 35% wage award, the ₦70,000 minimum wage, arrears of the ₦30,000 minimum wage, and the backlog of earned academic allowances covering 2021 to 2024.

"The Congress may consider other options if the government fails to address these issues," the communiqué warned.

Both zones called on the federal and state governments to intervene immediately, stressing that prolonged inaction risks a total collapse of industrial peace across the affected institutions.