SaharaReporters learnt that the strike is over demands for salary increment, N70,000 minimum wage implementation, amongst others.
Academic activities at the Yobe State University (YSU), Damaturu, have remained grounded since July 11 as lecturers under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have continued an indefinite strike.
SaharaReporters learnt that the strike is over demands for salary increment, N70,000 minimum wage implementation, amongst others.
SaharaReporters on July 11, 2025 reported that academic activities at the university were brought to a halt as the university’s branch of the ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salary adjustments, wage arrears, and calls for institutional autonomy.
The union embarked on the ongoing indefinite strike over “Non-implementation of 39%, and 25% wage award for professors and other cadres effective from January, 2023-date; Non-implementation of the N70,000 New National Minimum Wage consequential adjustment in full from 2024 - date.
“Relegation and stagnation of promoted staff on step one by the Ministry of Finance; non-payment of promotion arrears from 2018-2024; non-payment of Postgraduate facilitation and supervision allowances, and non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) for 2023/2024 Academic Session.”
Despite repeated calls for negotiation, SaharaReporters was reliably informed that Governor Mai Mala Buni-led State Government has failed to engage or address the aggrieved lecturers' concerns.
Dr. Ahmed Karage, the Chairman of the ASUU YSU branch, said the union had exhausted all avenues of dialogue and had no option but to embark on the indefinite industrial action.
The ongoing strike, now in its third week, has raised concerns over the government’s priorities, particularly following recent reports that the state approved a N300million budget for a workshop and entertainment programme targeted at social media influencers.
The event, said to have been held at the Upscale Ruffles Suite Hotel in Kaduna, Kaduna State capital, reportedly attracted dozens of online personalities, many of whom reportedly have no formal academic background.
The programme has been criticised by stakeholders and education advocates who view the money spent on it as extravagant, especially at a time when the state university remains shut due to unresolved labour disputes.
SaharaReporters also earlier reported that despite declaring a "State of Emergency on Education," the Yobe State government has continued to neglect the education sector in the state, approving a staggering N22 billion for the construction of a single flyover while public schools across the state lie in shambles.
The report revealed a glaring example of Governor Buni-led state government’s neglect in the Central Primary School in Dumbulwa, Fika Local Government Area, which reels under dilapidated structures with crumbling walls, and no windows, with pupils forced to learn on bare floors under leaky roofs.
Meanwhile, Governor Buni had in 2021 declared a State of Emergency on Education, promising sweeping reforms, improved infrastructure, and better welfare for teachers.
However, education stakeholders say the reality on the ground sharply contradicts those promises.
Some say the declaration has become nothing but a political slogan, noting that schools in the state are worse than they were before the so-called emergency.
According to some residents of the state, in many schools, children learn sitting on the ground, while there are no toilets, and teachers are leaving the profession because they can’t survive on their salaries.
According to residents of the state, many public schools lack basic classroom furniture, teaching materials, and even chalk.
In what many have described as a "misplaced priority," the state government recently approved N22 billion for the construction of a flyover in Damaturu, the state capital, a move that has drawn outrage from civil society groups and education advocates.
Education experts warn that unless urgent steps are taken to revamp the sector, the long-term consequences could be devastating.
Yobe State, located in Nigeria’s North-East region, has been grappling with the twin challenges of insecurity and educational underdevelopment for years.
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