₦airaland Forum

The Federal Government has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reconsider its planned two-week warning strike, stressing that dialogue remains the most effective means of resolving ongoing disputes in Nigeria’s university system, News360 Nigeria reports.

In a joint statement issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad, the government said it has made a comprehensive offer addressing ASUU’s key demands, including improved working conditions, institutional governance, and lecturers’ welfare.

According to the statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a new Teaching Allowance aimed at rewarding the value of academic work and motivating lecturers across public universities.

The Ministers noted that while most issues raised by ASUU have been addressed, matters within the jurisdiction of university governing councils—such as appointments and promotions—are already being handled at the institutional level.

They expressed disappointment that ASUU appears determined to go ahead with the strike despite the government’s ongoing engagement and open commitment to resolving the issues.

The statement reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare of lecturers and the stability of the university system, adding that ongoing education sector reforms are guided by principles of fairness, accountability, and institutional strengthening.

However, the Ministers cautioned that the government will invoke the “No Work, No Pay” rule if ASUU proceeds with its planned strike, as it remains an established provision under Nigerian labour law.

“While government remains committed to peaceful dialogue, it will equally enforce existing laws to protect the integrity of our education system and ensure accountability,” the statement warned.

The Federal Government reiterated its readiness for continuous dialogue with ASUU and other stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted academic calendars and improved infrastructure across universities.

“The government has shown sincerity and commitment through engagements and policy actions. We are confident that, with continued dialogue, every legitimate concern can be resolved without shutting down our campuses.”

“Our students must remain in school,” the statement concluded.

Mrchippychappy:
same ASUU una dey sponsor back in 2011 to 2014 to cause chaos? Una never see anything

youngbabaj:
Most of this unions are the reasons why Nigeria isnt moving forward

Mrchippychappy:
The same ASUU una dey sponsor back in 2011 to 2014 to cause chaos? Una never see anything

Image123:
This is one of Yar'adua's many gaffes that the nation still suffers from. SMH

nairalanda1:
The government doesn't want to increase fees or tax most people to fund universities adequately

That's why there have been repeated strikes for over three decades ,.getting to four.

It's very very expensive to run a university. But if government does the needful and raises fees or taxes, there would be protests and riots.

So government will wait it out , maybe drop some money, maybe call in the two other unions to disrupt things , and in three months strike would be over

But because the underlying issues have not been solved, the problems continue.

We got to accept that you cannot have world class education cheaply or freely. Countries with good quality education pay for it with income taxes approaching half their income or high fees. Or both.

We got to face reality.

You are free to call me agbero, capitalist , whatever. It does not change the cold fact.

Unilag had a budget of 25 million dollars this year. Harvard has a budget approaching 6 billion. Which university is world class. That 25 million dollars unilag gets is before corruption comes in. That's why you don't get good quality Harvard level education there and why Nigerian lecturer salaries are too too low

Of course the government deserves to bee blamed . Run a resource dependent economy, like what tinubu is doing now, and what buhari and all their predecessors did,that imports consumer goods instead of making them, and the result is a income too low for everyone. And then the corrupt make things much worse

NovaraPacks:
I wonder when exactly this ASUU strikes gibberish will end. How wonder how we're developing as a nation if this has not end since the creator of time.

It's really sad lots of people wasted almost all their youth age to study a four years course but that eventually took them 7/8 years. Someone like me used 5years instead of 3.

My only advise for all youth. Comes what may, what wait on graduating before you get a skill!!, start executing that idea before it dies down. Do it tough! Do it rough!

surgical:
oga go and sit down Mr analyst you want to pretend there are no astronomical increament in school fees by Tinubu which he pretend he wants to cushion with students loan, or you are unaware of the various taxes introduced or increased by this regime, just admit that you guys lack depth and empathy, every recommendation you guys had given has resulted in disaster, you know why ,you copy and paste ideas or policy without considering the environment
Just like remove subsidy, float naira,or devalue naira advice that was all over the place at a time has been implemented, what is the result now, again una don start with raise taxes,raise school fees,that has also been done,now what have you achieved with that,or you will recommend the government strangle the people some more?

Goodies45:
Instead of warning them Federal Government should just come to their needs and solve the case simple

muykem:
ASUU is very unreasonable. They deserve someone like Buhari. After their 8 months inglorious strike then. They resumed without any of their requests achieved and Buhari even refused to pay them 8 months salary. Tinubu came in pay them 4 months outstanding, allow them to use their own software for their salary payments among others but yet, they must still go on strike.

surgical:
oga go and sit down Mr analyst you want to pretend there are no astronomical increament in school fees by Tinubu which he pretend he wants to cushion with students loan, or you are unaware of the various taxes introduced or increased by this regime, just admit that you guys lack depth and empathy, every recommendation you guys had given has resulted in disaster, you know why ,you copy and paste ideas or policy without considering the environment
Just like remove subsidy, float naira,or devalue naira advice that was all over the place at a time has been implemented, what is the result now, again una don start with raise taxes,raise school fees,that has also been done,now what have you achieved with that,or you will recommend the government strangle the people some more?

IJAYA001:
ASUU wan go break as usual, you think Tinubu is Buhari. You will learn in hard way.

nairalanda1:
So that means that the government of 2012-14 was so incompetent they could not answer ASUU needs then?

You guys should stop using the above argument. It makes GEJ look like a weak leader who could do nothing against the opposition and striking unions

For the record, ASUU went on strike in 2011-14 and up till today because the government has not honored the 2009 agreement . In 2013, GEJ even told them the hard truth that government could not afford to pay ASUU the money in the agreement, and ASUU called off the strike then, and some universities raised fees as a result

Or when ASUU went on strike under buhari and uner Obasanjo and Yaradua, was it opposition?

There is a problem you are not seeing. Our funding for universities is poor. Under GEJ we were spending less than 5 billion dollars on education. It has not changed since then. And it was the same before. When we should be spending 200 billion dollars on education

The problem is, bad economics by all your governments since independence, and the idea that you can get world class education cheaply without paying high income taxes or high fees or both