In the midst of rising academic tension across Nigerian universities, the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has firmly distanced itself from the two-week warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
While ASUU announced the industrial action starting October 13, citing years of unfulfilled promises by the Federal Government, CONUA says it is staying out of the fray. The breakaway union is instead calling for calm, urging its members to continue their teaching and administrative duties.
“We’re Not Part of the Strike” – CONUA Clears the Air
President of CONUA, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, made it clear in a statement that the union has no reason to go on strike at this time.
“It is important to emphasize that CONUA has no basis at this time to declare a dispute or embark on any strike action,” he stated.
He also criticized recent reports suggesting that CONUA had joined the strike, calling them false and misleading. According to him, the union remains committed to academic stability and will continue engaging with government officials through peaceful dialogue, not disruption.
ASUU vs CONUA
CONUA was formed in 2018 by a group of university lecturers who were tired of ASUU’s frequent use of strikes to negotiate with the government. The members felt that repeated industrial actions were doing more harm than good to the already struggling Nigerian university system.
Since then, CONUA has grown steadily, positioning itself as a more moderate alternative within the academic labour movement – advocating for reforms without grounding classrooms.
The latest development comes after CONUA was initially excluded from the federal government’s renegotiation committee of the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, inaugurated in October 2024.
However, Sunmonu revealed that the union formally protested the exclusion and met with the Minister of Education on September 11, 2025. Following that meeting, the committee was expanded to include CONUA, a move the union welcomed as a step toward inclusion.
Nationwide congresses were held by CONUA members from September 18–24, and the union leadership reported a unanimous decision to reject strike action, maintaining its stand on dialogue over disruption.
Sunmonu also called on university vice-chancellors to ensure the safety of CONUA members and encouraged students not to panic, as academic activities would not be interrupted in CONUA-backed universities.
