The Nigerian government has warned striking university teachers they risk losing their pay if they fail to return to work immediately. Education Minister Aja Nwachukwu said in the capital city of Abuja Monday the government’s no-work-no-pay policy could be invoked against the teachers. Lecturers in Nigeria’s 58 public universities, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), started a week-long ‘warning’ strike Monday to protest the government’s refusal to reinstate 49 of their colleagues, who were fired for participating in a strike in 2001. Indications are that the current ‘warning’ strike could develop into a drawn-out work stoppage unless the government accedes to the teachers’ demand. Incessant strikes in Nigeria’s public universities have been blamed for the disruption of the institutions’ academic schedule and have forced those who could afford it to send their children and wards to the growing number of expensive private universities in the country.
