FG appeals to ASUU to suspend planned strike

The Federal Government has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend its planned strike, assuring that it is committed to addressing all lingering issues in a comprehensive and lasting manner.

Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, made the appeal in Abuja on Wednesday during a press briefing held ahead of a meeting of the high-level committee on the proposed 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement.

Alausa stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that the proposed strike be averted, emphasizing the President’s determination and political will to reach a fair and mutually acceptable resolution with all university staff unions.

He maintained that there was no justification for ASUU or any other tertiary institution union to embark on industrial action, adding that the President’s directive is clear: “Strike must be avoided so that Nigerian students can remain in school.”

Last week, ASUU issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands or face industrial action. The decision was reached at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on September 28 at the University of Abuja.

ASUU’s key demands include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, improved funding and revitalisation of universities, and an end to the alleged victimisation of its members at Lagos State University (LASU), Kogi State University (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), among others.

The Minister explained that Wednesday’s meeting was a technical session aimed at finalising aspects of the conditions of service for university staff and preparing a counteroffer for ASUU.

He disclosed that the Yayale Ahmed-led Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiating Committee would meet with ASUU’s leadership on Thursday to present the government’s proposal.

According to him, the committee has contacted ASUU and other tertiary institution unions to agree on dates and times for further meetings.

“The directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is that our children must stay in school. We are doing everything possible to prevent a strike. Behind the scenes, officials at the highest levels of government have been working tirelessly to produce a comprehensive and sustainable response to the unions’ concerns,” Alausa said.

“These issues date back over a decade, but the President has given us the political will to resolve them once and for all. In the past, negotiations were handled separately by committees for universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, which was inefficient. Now, we have one expanded negotiating committee that will engage all tertiary institutions—academic and non-academic alike—to fully understand and address their needs.”

He added that the expanded negotiation committee was inaugurated on Monday and held its first meeting on Tuesday, pledging that the team would work swiftly to produce a final agreement for government approval and signing.

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Alausa urged ASUU and other unions to consider strike action only as a last resort, noting that the government recognizes their long-standing patience.

He reaffirmed that President Tinubu has provided the necessary political backing to resolve the matter in a fair, respectful, and sustainable way.

The Minister further revealed that the government had already begun implementing some of the lecturers’ demands. He noted that the Tinubu administration recently released N50 billion for Earned Academic Allowances and allocated N150 billion in the 2025 budget for the revitalisation of tertiary institutions. Additionally, outstanding promotion arrears are expected to be captured in the 2026 budget.