Lagos State University, LASU, is on the brink of a total shutdown as all staff unions—including both academic and non-academic bodies—embark on an indefinite strike following unresolved disputes with the institution’s management.
The development, which took effect from Thursday threatens to derail the academic calendar, with students set to commence their second-semester examinations next week.
The Joint Action Committee of LASU, a coalition comprising the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non-Academic Staff Union, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, formally declared the strike in a letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello. The notice was signed by the respective chairpersons and secretaries of the unions.
In their statement, the unions directed all staff across the Ojo main campus and its satellite campuses—the Lagos State University College of Medicine in Ikeja and the Epe campus—to withdraw services and vacate duty posts immediately.
The unions emphasized that the industrial action would remain indefinite “until all demands are met by the appropriate authorities.”
While the unions have not publicly disclosed the full list of their demands in this latest communiqué, sources within the university suggest the grievances include poor welfare conditions, unresolved promotion backlogs, alleged mismanagement of funds, and what union leaders describe as an increasingly “hostile” administrative environment.
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This strike action is not an isolated occurrence. It comes on the heels of a long history of labour disputes at LASU.
In 2021 and again in 2023, staff unions staged industrial actions over similar issues, particularly around promotion delays and unmet agreements on staff welfare.
Though some concessions were made in past episodes, many union leaders argue that promises made by university management were not fully implemented, creating a cycle of broken trust.
The timing of the strike adds urgency to the crisis. Students were scheduled to begin their second semester examinations for the 2024/2025 academic session next week.
With staff withdrawing from duty, academic and administrative activities are now effectively suspended. This sudden development has left thousands of students in limbo, with no clarity on when academic activities will resume or how the disruptions will affect their progression.
A senior official from one of the unions, who spoke anonymously, said, “This strike is not politically motivated. It is about dignity, fairness, and a functional university system. We’ve exhausted all internal mechanisms of resolution. The strike is our last resort.”
Meanwhile, the university management has yet to issue a formal response to the strike announcement
Punch Newspaper
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