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IPPIS: ASUU Strike Looms In Jan
A nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is imminent in January with the failure of the Federal Government and the union to settle their disagreement on the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The Tide’s source yesterday gathered that the two sides had not resolved their differences over the payroll system.
While ASUU said it was still waiting for the National Assembly’s invitation as part of efforts to resolve the disagreement, a top officer of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning said the regime’s decision on the IPPIS remained the same.
Following a directive by the President Muhammadu Buhari, at the 2020 budget presentation at the National Assembly on October 8, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation deployed the IPPIS officers to universities between October 25 and November 7.
The AGF office said that based on Buhari’s directive that all federal employees must enroll for the IPPIS, universities workers must make themselves available for the enrolment during the period.
But ASUU faulted the payroll system, saying it negated the principle of universities’ autonomy. It also directed its members to shun the registration for the IPPIS.
But the top officer, who said the position of the regime on the IPPIS had not changed, stated that those who failed to register for the payroll system would not receive their December salaries.
He said: “The government has been very clear that everyone must be on the IPPIS to be able to get salaries. So if you are not enrolled, how do you get paid?”
He, however, said the Presidency would take the final decision on the fate of those that had not been enrolled for the IPPIS.
The officer said about 90,000 workers in about 43 universities had registered for the IPPIS, adding that 8,000 out of the 90,000 universities’ workers were lecturers.
“The IPPIS officials have done the enrollment across the universities based on the window given for the exercise to be conducted and they are back to the office.
“So, we are reviewing the data and whatever action that is going to be taken will be from there. But what I can tell you is that we have over 90,000 university workers on the IPPIS.
“So, if we have over 90,000 that enrolled, it shows that it is good enough. And out of this figure, we have quite a number of academic staff. We have over 8,000 from academic staff that have enrolled.
“So, definitely, we had a very good outing because over 90,000 were enrolled during the period and people are still calling to be enrolled.
“If they want to enroll, they should come here (Abuja) and we will enroll them. If you give people opportunity to enroll and they wasted it, we can’t go to their houses to enroll them.
“The IPPIS is a presidential directive and for now, it is the Presidency that will determine what will be their (ASUU’s) fate”, he said.
When asked what it would do if the Federal Government failed to pay the December salaries of lecturers that failed to register, the President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the union still stood by the decision of its National Executive Committee meeting in Minna, Niger State.
After meeting in Minna on Wednesday last week, ASUU had threatened that its members would go on strike if the Federal Government stopped their salaries.
Ogunyemi had said, “As resolved at the ASUU-NEC meeting at FUT Minna, should the Accountant-General make bold his threat of stopping the salaries of our members, the union shall activate its standing resolution of ‘No Pay, No Work’.
“NEC did not only reiterate its unequivocal rejection of IPPIS as an ill-wind that will blow the Nigerian University system no good, it also resolved that no amount of blackmail, intimidation and outright misinformation of the Nigerian public will make ASUU lose focus on its historic role as the conscience of the university system.”
ASUU had earlier said it was waiting for an invitation from the National Assembly, especially the Senate, so that it could demonstrate the alternative model it developed to the IPPIS.
The ASUU said the alternative model, University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), was ready and its team of experts would display it to the government once the National Assembly invited the union.
Ogunyemi, who said this in an interview with one of The Tide’s source in Abuja, stated that the UTAS was ready but the union needed the support of the government which would in turn give a directive to the authorities of universities.
He said, “Well, we are expecting to hear from the National Assembly but we have not heard from them. The last time we met them, we told them about that proposal and we said that our team had started working on it. So, we went back to meet representatives of the National Assembly after that and we told them that we were 33 per cent ready as of that time. But we have gone beyond that.
“Now we are moving towards a stage where we will need the consent of the universities and that is why what we have been saying is that the government should agree with us that we would go further with that alternative.”
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, had at the meeting with ASUU on October 28 appealed to the union not to go on strike over the IPPIS, but the union had told Lawan that it was developing an alternative model to the IPPIS.
The union, after the NEC meeting on Wednesday last week, had said the UTAS was designed by a team of crack software engineers, who are based in the Nigerian universities.
The union argued that unlike IPPIS, UTAS would address the uniqueness of the university system, particularly the flexibility of the payroll and personnel management.
The IPPIS platform is an integral part of the Federal Government’s public finance reform initiative aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of government payroll.
Meanwhile, the Senate has kept mum on the claims by ASUU that the Red Chamber had not invited its leadership for another meeting after their first engagement some weeks ago.
Nigeria’s crude oil production has surged to an 11-month high in May, 2026, with the country exceeding its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quota.
The average crude oil production recorded during the month of May represents 102 per cent of Nigeria’s 1.5mbpd of production quota allocated by the OPEC.
The production report released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), yesterday, disclosed that Nigeria’s oil production averages 1,530,354 barrels of crude oil and 170,446 barrels of condensates per day (bpd).
According to the report, this brings the total combined production to 1, 700, 800 barrels per day and consolidating Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest oil producer.
The report said the production performance during the review period remained robust, with combined crude oil and condensate output ranging between a low of 1.51 million bpd and a peak of 1.86 million bpd.
It said the May 2026 production figures represented the highest recorded by Nigeria since July 2025, when output surged to 1,712,282.
“In strict crude oil terms (excluding condensates), the 1.53 million barrels recorded in May 2026 represents the highest Nigeria has witnessed since January 2025 when crude oil production hit 1.538mbpd.
“The latest crude oil production statistics thus represents a 15-month high on a month on month basis, production rose by 2.77 per cent in May 2026 as against 1.48mbpd in April,” it said.
The report said the broader production trend over the last five months had also remained positive.
It said combined crude oil and condensate output increased from 1.48 million bpd in February to 1.54 million bpd in March, 1.66 million bpd in April, and then 1.7 million bpd in May, underscoring sustained growth in Nigeria’s hydrocarbon production levels.
According to the report, among production streams, Bonny Terminal led the pack with a total blend of 293,870 bpd, closely followed by Forcados Terminal at 289,900 bpd, Qua Iboe ranked third with 173,360 bpd, while Escravos Oil Terminal contributed 135,470 bpd.
It said the Odudu (Amenam Blend) completed the top five production streams, accounting for 63,250 bpd during the month under review.
The NUPRC attributes the rise in production to a sustained positive momentum as operations remained stable throughout the reporting period with no significant pipeline or facility outages recorded.
Additionally, all previously scheduled turnaround maintenance activities had been successfully completed, contributing to improved operational reliability and production efficiency.
The House of Representatives, yesterday passed a landmark constitutional amendment bill to establish state police nationwide, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s decades-long debate over decentralising policing and strengthening internal security.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026,” was approved during consideration at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
Voting commenced after the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, presented the report on the proposal and canvassed support from lawmakers, stressing the need for a more decentralised policing framework to effectively address the country’s growing security challenges.
The exercise was conducted manually, with members raising their hands to indicate their positions. At the end of the voting, 289 lawmakers voted in support of the bill, one member abstained, while none voted against it, reflecting overwhelming bipartisan backing for the far-reaching reform.
The proposed amendment seeks to fundamentally restructure Nigeria’s policing architecture by creating both Federal and State Police formations.
One of the bill’s key provisions amends Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to formally establish the Federal Police and the State Police. Under the proposal, the National Assembly would be empowered to prescribe the structure, organisation, administration and powers of the Federal Police, while also providing the legal framework and minimum standards for the establishment and operation of state police services.
The bill stipulates that no state police formation shall commence operations unless it is established by a law enacted by the relevant State House of Assembly and certified as complying with national minimum standards prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
It further provides that until a state police force becomes operational, the Federal Police shall continue to exercise policing powers and responsibilities within such states.
In a bid to preserve the autonomy of state police formations and prevent undue federal interference, the bill limits federal intervention in states’ internal security affairs. Under the proposal, the Federal Police may intervene only where there is a complete breakdown of law and order, upon the request of a governor or where a state police force becomes unable to function due to administrative, financial or other operational challenges.
The amendment also proposes significant changes to the police’s appointment and command structure.
Under the amended Section 215 of the Constitution, the Inspector-General of Police would be appointed by the President on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving members of the Federal Police, subject to confirmation by the National Assembly.
Similarly, a State Commissioner of Police would be appointed by a governor on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving officers of the State Police, subject to confirmation by the respective State House of Assembly.
The bill empowers governors to issue lawful directives to State Commissioners of Police on matters relating to public safety and the maintenance of law and order. However, where a commissioner considers such directives unlawful or inconsistent with accepted policing standards, the matter may be referred to the Nigeria Police Council, whose decision shall be final.
The proposal also amends Section 84 of the Constitution by replacing references to the “National Police Council and the Federal Police Service Commission” with the “Nigeria Police Council and the Police Service Commission.”
The passage of the bill by the House represents one of the most far-reaching security reforms contemplated since the return to democratic rule in 1999 and is expected to rekindle nationwide debate on issues relating to funding, accountability, operational control and safeguards against abuse.
With the House’s approval, the constitutional amendment bill will now proceed to the Senate for concurrence. Thereafter, it must secure the endorsement of at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly and receive presidential assent before becoming part of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
If eventually enacted, the legislation would usher in a new era of multi-layered policing in Nigeria and could redefine the country’s approach to tackling banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of violent crimes through a more localised security architecture.
The Federal Government has declared today, public holiday to commemorate Nigeria’s 27 years of unbroken democratic rule.
This is contained in a statement in Abuja, by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Magdalene Ajani.
Ajani said that the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the federal government.
Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the preservation of democratic ideals, rule of law, transparency, accountability and inclusive governance.
He assured that the ministry in collaboration with relevant security agencies woulsd continue to take appropriate measures in maintaining and strengthening Nigeria’s internal security.
The minister noted that a secured and stable environment was essential to democracy and national development.
He urged Nigerians to see the holiday as an opportunity for civic reflection.
“As we mark this historic day, every Nigerian is encouraged to remain law-abiding, uphold the institutions that sustain our democracy, and remember that the strength of any democracy lies ultimately in the character of its citizens,” he said.
He also said that June 12 every year remained a significant day in Nigeria’s history in honour of the courage, resilience and sacrifices of Nigerians whose efforts made democratic governance possible.
“Their legacies continue to inform the values and responsibilities of the Nigerian state,”Tunji-Ojo added.
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