Government and Unions in Final Negotiations to Prevent Academic Disruption
The Nigerian Federal Government has entered the final phase of discussions with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education unions, aiming to prevent any further industrial action. This development was revealed by Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, during a meeting of the Technical Working Group on the Conditions of Service for university lecturers in Abuja.
Alausa expressed confidence that the remaining issues with the unions would soon be resolved. He mentioned that the working group was in the process of finalizing a counteroffer to be submitted to the unions through the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiations Committee.
This effort aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that all necessary steps must be taken to ensure that Nigerian students remain in school and that the academic calendar is not disrupted.
“The President has made it clear that our children must remain in school,” Alausa stated. “The technical working group is finalising a component of the conditions of service to be proposed to the unions. Hopefully, by the end of today or latest tomorrow, the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiations Committee will receive that counteroffer to ASUU.”
According to the minister, approximately 80% of the unions’ demands were common across all tertiary institutions, while the remaining 20% addressed sector-specific concerns. He added that the committee, which was inaugurated earlier in the week, had begun intensive deliberations to fast-track agreement and implementation timelines.
Financial Commitments and Future Plans
Alausa noted that the Tinubu administration had already made significant progress with the release of N50bn for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances. Additionally, another N150bn had been allocated in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches.
“They (lecturers) deserve to be paid well, and our academic and non-academic staff deserve improved welfare,” he said. “But we can’t give everything at once. What matters is our sincerity and commitment to substantial improvements in their conditions.”
He also mentioned that promotion arrears and other outstanding allowances, including teaching and wage awards, had been addressed, with remaining obligations expected to be cleared by 2026.
Call for Dialogue and Legal Involvement
Reiterating the government’s commitment to sustainable peace in the education sector, Alausa appealed to the unions to exercise patience and embrace dialogue instead of resorting to strikes.
“We have resolved many of these issues, and we are at the final stage — the condition of service,” he said. “This government is sincere and has demonstrated that over the last two years. Please bear with us.”
Alausa also revealed that, for the first time, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and officials of the Ministry of Justice were directly involved in the negotiation process to ensure legal soundness and enforceability of the agreements.
ASUU’s Response and Upcoming Actions
Meanwhile, ASUU issued a strike bulletin to its members on Monday, directing branches to prepare for a two-week warning strike expected to commence on October 13. The planned strike follows a two-week ultimatum issued by the union last week over what it described as the government’s continued failure to address outstanding issues, including the signing and implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
In the fresh memo to branches, ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, lamented that the government had yet to make any meaningful response to the union’s demands despite the ultimatum.
