The Federal Government has warned that it will invoke the no-work-no-pay policy following the declaration of a nationwide warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

In a statement issued Sunday night by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, the government accused ASUU of failing to cooperate despite ongoing efforts to avert the strike.

The ministry said it had continued to prioritize the welfare of university staff and the stability of the academic calendar under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

While reaffirming its commitment to dialogue, the ministry warned that the no-work-no-pay policy remains an existing labour law that will guide government action should university lecturers proceed with the industrial action.

“Government will not abdicate its responsibility to uphold fairness and accountability in the use of public resources,” the statement read.

The government also appealed to all academic unions to embrace partnership and dialogue in the collective interest of the nation’s higher education system, stressing that ongoing reforms were designed to improve teaching, research, and institutional autonomy across universities.

ASUU had on Sunday declared a total and comprehensive warning strike effective Monday, October 13, demanding the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, release of withheld salaries and arrears, revitalisation of public universities, and an end to what it described as victimisation of lecturers in some institutions.