₦airaland Forum

The federal government has announced the formation of an Expanded Negotiation Committee aimed at fast-tracking discussions with all unions in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions to prevent a nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

This is coming shortly after the ASUU leadership announced that it has started mobilising its members across universities in the country to join the industrial actions

The minister disclosed this in a statement cited by Legit.ng on Wednesday, October 8. The statement revealed that the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the announcement during a meeting of the Technical Working Group in Abuja.

Alausa: Nigerian students must remain in school

He explained that the move followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive that Nigerian students must remain in school while all outstanding disputes with university unions are addressed through dialogue.

“The directive President Bola Tinubu gave us is that our children must be in school. We should do everything humanly possible to avert a strike,” Alausa stated.

FG outlines N200 billion intervention for universities

Dr Alausa highlighted that the government has already committed ₦200 billion to revitalising the tertiary education sector, including ₦50 billion released for earned academic allowances and ₦150 billion allocated in the 2025 budget for university revitalisation projects.

“The earned academic allowance has been paid; the President released ₦50 billion months ago. “Even the needs assessment that tertiary institutions have been fighting for for almost 15 years, the President put ₦150 billion in this 2025 budget.

"He promised that it will be released in three tranches of ₦50 billion each, and the first tranche is already waiting.” The minister described these actions as a reflection of the Tinubu administration’s sincerity and readiness to meet its obligations to the education sector.

Unified platform for all tertiary institution negotiations

Dr Alausa further revealed that the federal government has collapsed all separate negotiation platforms into a single, coordinated structure known as the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed federal government Tertiary Institution Expanded Negotiation Committee.

“In the past, we had three different committees negotiating in silos — one for universities, one for polytechnics, and one for colleges of education. That was not efficient. “Now, we have one negotiation committee that will talk with all tertiary institutions and all unions to have a full understanding of their needs," he explained.

According to him, the Technical Working Group is finalising the government’s counter-offer to ASUU, which will be transmitted to the expanded committee “by the end of today or tomorrow.”

Alausa appeals for patience and dialogue

The minister appealed to ASUU and other tertiary education unions to maintain patience and continue dialogue, stressing that the government is committed to finding a lasting solution.

“Don’t use strike as your first resort. We know you’ve been patient, but these are issues that built up over decades. This President believes fervently and benevolently in education and has given us all the political will to resolve this problem once and for all,"
Alausa pleaded.

He added that the government’s approach prioritises sustainability and fiscal discipline while recognising the sacrifices made by lecturers and non-academic staff.

Dr Alausa listed several achievements under the current administration, including the resolution of promotion arrears, implementation of the 25–25 wage award, and payment of teaching and responsibility allowances.

By next year, in 2026, all arrears will be paid. We have shown over the last 24 months since this administration took over that we are determined to resolve this crisis holistically," he assured.




ASUU issues strike ultimatum to FG

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a 14-day strike ultimatum to the federal government.

The union made the decision following a national executive council (NEC) meeting held on Sunday, September 28, at the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA).

dahmie2013:
For crying out loud, what do this ASUU people want? I have been seeing over the past weeks, recruitments by many universities. This shows that the FG has increased their allocation. They need to apply some patience too. Things will change gradually.

yinkus6750:
I still keep wondering if ASUU is the only organized union in this country.
They have truncated innocent students faith with so many incessant strike.
No other union has caused havoc and damage to the educational sector than them.
Private universities are doing well by managing their resources accordingly,tho at a very exorbitant rate.
But even overseas, education doesn't come cheap.
The current governor must find a lasting solution to this reoccurring issues that have been outstanding for ages.

Chikarata2020:
ASUU no go get mind go strike after all the funds being released to them by FG. Organization of greedy old men who prefer to hold their students to ransom, rather than facing their problems squarely with the FG

yinkus6750:
I still keep wondering if ASUU is the only organized union in this country.
They have truncated innocent students faith with so many incessant strike.
No other union has caused havoc and damage to the educational sector than them.
Private universities are doing well by managing their resources accordingly,tho at a very exorbitant rate.
But even overseas, education doesn't come cheap.
The current governor must find a lasting solution to this reoccurring issues that have been outstanding for ages.

yinkus6750:
I still keep wondering if ASUU is the only organized union in this country.
They have truncated innocent students faith with so many incessant strike.
No other union has caused havoc and damage to the educational sector than them.
Private universities are doing well by managing their resources accordingly,tho at a very exorbitant rate.
But even overseas, education doesn't come cheap.
The current governor must find a lasting solution to this reoccurring issues that have been outstanding for ages.

Dvdpity:
This government is insensitive to the plight of Nigerian university lecturers, Nigerian professors, who produced best medical and science brains, legal brains and engineering brains etc are paid less than 350 dollars per month.
Nigerian professors are the most impoverished professors in the whole of west Africa.
This is the worst country in Africa to be a professor.
The wickedness of this current government is terrifying. This current Nigerian government has no regards to education, they have totally destroyed the university education.

If a professor is being paid 350 dollars per month, where is the motivation to work?

Education is the tap root of every nation development and this government of certificate forgers and touts are fighting ASUU in order to totally destroy it completely.

Because uneducated society, is a society that can be easily manipulated.

Redoil:
Your FG has has been boasting to the world of having save more than 45 billion dollars in some foreign account. Why cant they invest just 3% of that amount in Education and 2% in health then steal the rest of the money as usual by buying expensive properties in UK US and CANADA

Chikarata2020:
ASUU no go get mind go strike after all the funds being released to them by FG. Organization of greedy old men who prefer to hold their students to ransom, rather than facing their problems squarely with the FG

yinkus6750:
I still keep wondering if ASUU is the only organized union in this country.
They have truncated innocent students faith with so many incessant strike.
No other union has caused havoc and damage to the educational sector than them.
Private universities are doing well by managing their resources accordingly,tho at a very exorbitant rate.
But even overseas, education doesn't come cheap.
The current governor must find a lasting solution to this reoccurring issues that have been outstanding for ages.

Dvdpity:
This government is insensitive to the plight of Nigerian university lecturers, Nigerian professors, who produced best medical and science brains, legal brains and engineering brains etc are paid less than 350 dollars per month.
Nigerian professors are the most impoverished professors in the whole of west Africa.
This is the worst country in Africa to be a professor.
The wickedness of this current government is terrifying. This current Nigerian government has no regards to education, they have totally destroyed the university education.

If a professor is being paid 350 dollars per month, where is the motivation to work?

Education is the tap root of every nation development and this government of certificate forgers and touts are fighting ASUU in order to totally destroy it completely.

Because uneducated society, is a society that can be easily manipulated.

yinkus6750:
I still keep wondering if ASUU is the only organized union in this country.
They have truncated innocent students faith with so many incessant strike.
No other union has caused havoc and damage to the educational sector than them.
Private universities are doing well by managing their resources accordingly,tho at a very exorbitant rate.
But even overseas, education doesn't come cheap.
The current governor must find a lasting solution to this reoccurring issues that have been outstanding for ages.

dahmie2013:
For crying out loud, what do this ASUU people want? I have been seeing over the past weeks, recruitments by many universities. This shows that the FG has increased their allocation. They need to apply some patience too. Things will change gradually.