ASUU to begin strike in three Bayelsa varsities over non-implementation of agreement 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to shutdown academic activities in the three Bayelsa State owned universities over non-implementation of the 2025 Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA).

The CBA is a renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU from the 2009 agreement, which was not implemented.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Yenagoa, ASUU said since the Federal Government announced the agreement earlier this year, they have made several efforts to engage the state government to no avail.

Bayelsa State owns the Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma, University of Africa (UAT), Toru-Orua, and Bayelsa Medical University (BMU), Yenagoa, and all their ASUU were present at the press conference.

Lucky Bebeteidoh, ASUU-NDU Chairperson, who represented Uzonma Chima, Chairperson of ASUU Port Harcourt Zone, said the press conference was to draw the attention of CBA Implementation Monitoring Committee and the Visitor to the three state varsities to act fast to prevent the looming industrial action.

He said the press conference was also to urge the release of the White Paper of the Visitation Panel set up by the Visitor, building of staff accommodation in the three institutions, and urge “all parents, guardians and students to prevail on the state government to avert the looming industrial crisis in the State.

“In keeping with rules of wide consultations with all critical stakeholders in the state’s educational system and our avowed principle of extended dialogue aimed at improving the university system, we had made concerted effort to engage with the agents of the Bayelsa State Government on a peaceful implementation process without recourse to unwarranted industrial action. However, it would seem that the language of academic disruption is what is most appealing to the government”, ASUU said.

He expressed the worry that despite the fact that ASUU and the Bayelsà State Government started engagement since January,2026, the implementation is being delayed to allegedly create unnecessary industrial crisis for the university system in the state.

He said: “Meanwhile, some state government commenced implementation quietly. For instance, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Benue, Bauchi and Sokoto have commences implementation but the oil rich states are foot-dragging when they have more monies than these other states.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the consolidated academic tools allowance is for only academic staff of universities and not for civil servants or other public servants.”

ASUU explained that the non-implementation of the CBA is behind the absence of foreign staff and students Nigerian universities and their poor showing in the global ranking of universities.

For the three Bayelsa State-owned varsities, ASUU lamented the lack of staff accommodation, making academic staff to shuttle between the state capital and their classrooms on a daily basis.

While ASUU did not give any ultimatum, it is understood that it may embark on industrial action in the next two weeks if Bayelsa State Government continues to delay the implementation of the CBA.