Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapters at Niger Delta University (NDU) and Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) have declared indefinite strike actions over the Bayelsa State Government’s alleged failure to implement a 2025 collective bargaining agreement and settle 19 months of outstanding wage arrears. The University of Africa, Toru-Orua, another state-owned institution, has issued a two-week ultimatum over the same demands.
The strikes were announced after separate enlarged congresses at the Amassoma and Yenagoa campuses. ASUU-NDU chairperson Lucky Bebeteidoh confirmed the industrial action, citing the government’s refusal to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed on December 23, 2025, with an implementation timeline of January 2026. The union demands payment of the Consolidated Academic Tertiary Allowance (CATA) computed at N336,936,294.87 for all academic staff across the three state-owned universities.
Bebeteidoh stated that ASUU formally notified the state government in February 2026 about the signed agreement and the need to commence payments. He noted that more than 10 states, which receive less federal allocation than Bayelsa, have already implemented similar agreements. “Other states did not wait for Bayelsa State Government to implement before they started. Why will Bayelsa State Government wait for other states to implement before they do?” he asked.
Regarding the wage award arrears, the union explained that delayed implementation of the 25% and 35% wage awards resulted in 25 months of arrears. While six months were paid, 19 months remain outstanding. The government had promised payment when state revenues improve.
Bebeteidoh recalled that ASUU suspended a previous industrial action in February 2025 after signing a memorandum of understanding with the state government. He lamented that more than a year later, no action has been taken on the 19 months’ arrears.
The simultaneous industrial actions across Bayelsa’s three state-owned universities signal a deepening crisis in the state’s tertiary education sector. With the University of Africa’s ultimatum expiring in two weeks, the state government faces mounting pressure to resolve the funding disputes or risk a complete shutdown of university operations. The outcome will test the government’s commitment to honoring signed agreements and maintaining industrial peace in the education sector.
