By Tunde Yusuf

The Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR) expresses its full solidarity with the joint strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Unions of the three Lagos State-owned universities in defence of workers’ rights and the urgent need to improve the conditions of service in the institutions.

The strike is a legitimate response to the failure of the Lagos State Government to domesticate and implement the 2025 agreement between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government of Nigeria and all State Government, which was expected to take effect from January 1, 2026.

Rather than allowing university workers to continue to suffer under worsening economic conditions, the Lagos State Government must take immediate steps to domesticate and implement the agreement.

The Lagos State government, with all the resources at its disposal, should not have any challenge in funding free and quality education independently. The state is richer when compared to many other West African countries that have far more state-owned institutions than Lagos State. For instance, according to the Lagos State government LEDU data, the state’s Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) GDP stands at $259 billion, while a country like Togo has a GDP in PPP of $46 billion and The Gambia’s stands at $2.79 billion, according to World Bank figures.

It is noteworthy that other states, including Sokoto, Bauchi, and Ondo, have reportedly taken steps towards implementing aspects of the agreement. The Lagos State Government, with its substantial economic resources, must explain why the legitimate demands of university workers remain unresolved.

The government must not sacrifice the future of education and the welfare of university workers on the altar of political calculations and electoral priorities ahead of the 2027 elections.

Public education must not be treated as a luxury or a budgetary afterthought. It is a fundamental social right and a vital instrument for the development of society.

SOLIDARITY WITH RETIRED WORKERS AND VICTIMISED UNION ACTIVISTS

The issues raised in the ongoing struggle also include the rights and welfare of retirees, as well as the demand for justice for the five LASU-ASUU executive members reportedly dismissed or victimised for defending the interests of university workers.

SNWR condemns all forms of victimisation, intimidation, and anti-union practices directed at workers who organise to defend their rights.

We demand justice for the affected union activists and call for the resolution of all outstanding issues through genuine negotiations with the workers’ representatives.

DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION AGAINST AUSTERITY AND COMMERCIALISATION

At a time when the rising prices of petrol, food, transportation, housing, and other essential commodities have drastically eroded the purchasing power of workers’ salaries, the Lagos State Government’s failure to address the legitimate demands of university lecturers is unacceptable.

The deepening cost-of-living crisis is a direct consequence of economic policies that place the burden of economic hardship on working people while prioritising the interests of wealthy individuals and private capital.

The continued implementation of neoliberal policies, including the underfunding and gradual commercialisation of public education, threatens the right of working-class and poor students to access quality and affordable university education.

SNWR therefore calls on workers, students, parents, and progressive forces across Lagos State to stand in solidarity with the striking university workers. The struggle for decent wages and improved working conditions is inseparable from the struggle to defend education as a fundamental public service.

The Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights calls for:

The Lagos State Government to immediately domesticate and implement the 2025 ASUU–FGN agreement across all state-owned universities.

The Lagos State government to reinstate all Victimised Staff Proper and Adequate funding of the state owned Universities