The Federal Government has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to shelve its proposed strike, assuring that it is taking concrete steps to resolve all outstanding issues raised by the union.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the progress of the ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government and university-based unions.
Alausa explained that, unlike previous administrations where different committees handled separate negotiations for universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, the current government has adopted a unified negotiation framework to ensure faster and more coordinated outcomes.
According to him, the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Expanded Negotiation Committee has been reconstituted and inaugurated to engage both academic and non-academic unions across tertiary institutions.
“We are finalising the components of the condition of service that ASUU proposed,” Alausa said. “Our committee will present the Federal Government’s counter-offer to ASUU today or tomorrow.”
The minister revealed that President Bola Tinubu has directed that all necessary efforts be made to prevent another shutdown of universities, stressing that the government is working tirelessly behind the scenes to meet the unions’ demands in a sustainable way.
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“Mr. President has made it clear that another strike is not an option,” he said. “These issues have lingered for over a decade, but this administration is determined to put them to rest permanently.”
Alausa noted that around 80 per cent of the demands from the various tertiary education unions are similar, while the remaining 20 per cent are sector-specific. He added that the new committee is already working to harmonise the demands and find a middle ground that satisfies all parties.
He urged ASUU and other unions to give dialogue a chance, assuring that the government has shown good faith through several interventions.
“We’ve released N50 billion for earned academic allowances and allocated N150 billion in the 2025 budget for the revitalisation of tertiary institutions,” he stated. “Promotional arrears have been cleared, and wage awards are being implemented. By next year, all arrears will be fully settled.”
Alausa further disclosed that discussions on the new conditions of service are nearing completion, describing it as the final stage of the current negotiation process.
“We have resolved most of the contentious issues. What remains is fine-tuning the new conditions of service,” he said. “We appeal for patience. The government is sincere and determined to end this cycle of strikes once and for all.”
