
The Federal Government has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) not to go ahead with its planned strike, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to end the long-standing issues affecting university workers once and for all.
Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, made the plea in Abuja while speaking ahead of a meeting between the government and ASUU on the proposed 2025 agreement. He said the President’s instruction is clear, Nigerian students must remain in school while the government works on a lasting solution.
ASUU had earlier given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to meet its demands or face another round of industrial action. The union’s demands include revisiting the 2009 agreement, better funding for universities, and ending the alleged victimisation of its members in some institutions.
Alausa explained that a new negotiation team, led by Yayale Ahmed, has been set up to work closely with ASUU and other unions. He added that ₦50 billion has already been released for Earned Academic Allowances, while ₦150 billion has been set aside in the 2025 budget to improve university facilities.
He urged ASUU to be patient, noting that the government is ready to address all issues “in a fair, respectful, and affordable way” to finally bring peace to the education sector.