The University of Port Harcourt branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has begun an indefinite strike, citing incomplete salary payments and unresolved responsibility allowances.

The union declared the industrial action after an ultimatum issued to the university administration expired without what it considered a satisfactory resolution of its demands.

According to the branch, lecturers received incomplete payments for June, July and August 2026, while some responsibility allowances have also remained unpaid or incomplete.

ASUU further alleged that lecturers in the university's health sciences programmes who fall under the CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures had not received certain responsibility allowances.

The union also accused the university administration of sidelining some ASUU members from monthly responsibility allowance payments made to members of other unions for more than two years.

The branch had given the administration 48 working hours, ending at midnight on September 15, to resolve the issues.

Following the expiration of the deadline, members met at an emergency congress on September 16 and voted to commence an indefinite strike.

The industrial action affects both academic and official duties.

ASUU said members should not teach, conduct or invigilate examinations, attend statutory meetings or participate in other official assignments while the strike remains in force.

A monitoring team has also been established to enforce compliance across the university's campuses and centres.

The union said it had previously met with the university administration and received assurances that its concerns would be addressed before the deadline.

It said the failure to resolve the issues left members with no option but to proceed with the strike.

A separate report by The Guardian said the branch also linked its grievances to implementation of agreements involving salaries and other conditions of service.

The latest dispute adds the University of Port Harcourt to the list of Nigerian public universities experiencing local industrial action over salaries, allowances and conditions of service.

Verita Post has recently reported similar local ASUU disputes at universities in Lagos, Jigawa and Bayelsa, but the UniPort action is a separate institution-specific search intent.

The duration of the strike will depend on whether the university administration and the union reach an agreement on the outstanding payments.