Lagos State University (LASU) is currently in the midst of a strike action, as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a “total and indefinite” strike due to the Lagos State Government’s failure to implement the approved salary increment for its members. The strike began on December 6, 2024, and the union cited the state’s failure to honor a 25-35% salary increase agreed upon by the federal government in January 2023.
ASUU-LASU officials, including Chairperson Professor Ibrahim Bakare and Secretary Sylvester Idowu, issued a statement on Sunday, December 8, expressing their frustration over the lack of action. “We note with dismay that this agreement has been implemented in all the federal universities and eighteen (18) state universities as of today,” the statement read. According to ASUU, this delay is having a significant negative impact on the welfare of the university’s academic staff.
The strike was officially sanctioned by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the university’s staff unions, which includes ASUU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). ASUU also confirmed that both the vice-chancellor of LASU, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have been formally notified about the strike.
In addition to the salary increment issue, ASUU-LASU has raised concerns over pay disparities between LASU and other state institutions such as the Lagos State University of Science and Technology and the Lagos State University of Education, which reportedly have better salary structures. The union is calling for salary harmonization to address these inequalities and ensure fairness among the state’s universities.
The union further criticized the Lagos State Government for its failure to implement the recommendations of a committee set up to look into the harmonization of salaries. “The government has not taken any significant action on this matter, and we are left with no option but to embark on this strike,” ASUU stated in their release.
Despite the ongoing strike, ASUU-LASU has called for calm among students, urging them to show maturity and solidarity. “We use this medium to appeal to our world-class students to display a high sense of maturity, solidarity, and understanding in this matter. We implore them to keep calm and watch as events unfold,” the statement added. The union acknowledged that both the state government and university management are reportedly making efforts to resolve the dispute.
The strike has also sparked controversy with the LASU Students’ Union, which released a statement on December 7, claiming that academic activities would proceed uninterrupted despite the industrial action by ASUU and other unions. The Students’ Union President, Ayomide Adebobola, and Public Relations Officer, Mouyon Asikoto, assured students that their education would not be disrupted.
In response, ASUU dismissed the students’ claims, urging students to disregard the statement. “Our law-abiding students should disregard the Press Release dated 7th December 2024, jointly signed by the LASU Students’ Union President and the Public Relations Officer that activities continue in LASU despite SSANU and NASU industrial strike,” ASUU stated. The union reminded students that their involvement in staff welfare issues was inappropriate, emphasizing that this matter concerned the university’s staff and the government.
