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).
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