The Federal Government has announced that it has entered the final phase of negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other tertiary education unions to permanently resolve outstanding disputes.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a meeting of the Technical Working Group on Conditions of Service for ASUU held in Abuja on Wednesday.
Alausa expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive outcomes that would prevent future industrial actions and stabilize the nation’s academic calendar.
He revealed that the Technical Working Group was finalizing a counter-offer to the unions, which would be presented through the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiations Committee.
According to the minister, this latest stage of engagement aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that all efforts must be made to keep students in school and avoid any form of disruption. “The President has made it clear that our children must remain in school.
The technical working group is finalizing a component of the condition of service that has to be proposed. Hopefully by the end of today or latest tomorrow, the Negotiations Committee will receive that counter-offer to ASUU,” Alausa said.
He noted that about 80 percent of the demands from the unions across tertiary institutions were similar, while the remaining 20 percent were unique to individual sectors. He added that the government had already made notable progress in addressing several long-standing issues.
Among them was the release of ₦50 billion for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, and the inclusion of ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches beginning with an initial ₦50 billion.
“The lecturers and academic staff deserve better pay, and the government recognizes this. While we cannot meet every demand immediately, we are committed to ensuring substantial financial rewards and improved welfare,” the minister stated.
He further confirmed that the government had addressed several outstanding allowances, including promotion arrears, teaching, and wage awards, while the remaining payments would be cleared by 2026.
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Alausa emphasized that the Tinubu administration remains committed to sincerity, transparency, and mutual respect in its engagement with university-based unions.
He urged academic and non-academic staff to be patient and use dialogue rather than strikes as a means of resolving disputes.
“For the first time, the Solicitor General of the Federation and officials from the Ministry of Justice are directly participating in these negotiations,” Alausa added, noting that this measure is intended to ensure that all agreements reached are legally binding and enforceable.
With this final phase of discussions underway, education stakeholders are hopeful that the longstanding cycle of strikes in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions may finally be broken, ushering in a new era of stability and reform in the university system.
NAN
