ASUU Strike: FG reacts as ASUU fault move to avert nationwide strike
It has been a tussle between the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Federal Government of Nigeria over non-implementation of policy and promise reneging.
The Federal Government has proclaimed that paln of an Expanded Negotiation Committee targeted at hastening dialogue with all academic unions in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions to deter a nationwide industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities {ASUU).
This move is coming a moment after the leadership of the ASUU declared that it had begun mobilising its members in all Nigerian Universities to embark on the industrial actions.
The declaration was revealed in a statement issued on 8th October, 2025. The statement disclosed that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the directive during a meeting of the Technical Working Group in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Students Must Be In School ─ Alausa
He stated that the decision came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive that all students of Nigeria must not leave the school as all pended disagreements with all the tertiary academic unions must be addressed through verbal engagement.
“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 Sets Aside N200 Billion For All Universities
According to the minister of education, pointing that the government has already disbursed N200 billion to rehabilitate the tertiary education sector, with N50 billion budgeted for earned academic allowance and N150 billion reserved in the 2025 budget for university rehabilitation 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.”
Dr. Alausa called these actions a reflection of the Tinubu administration’s honesty and commitment to meeting iyd obligation, as a true leader who believes so much in education, to the education sector.
Joint Medium For Tertiary Institution To Negotiate
The minister of Education, Dr. Alausa further disclosed that the federal government has minimised various negotiation mediums into a mono, coordinated structure described 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.
In his statement, the Technical Working Group is working to finalise the government’s counter-offer to ASUU, which is about to be sent to the expanded committee “by the end of today or tomorrow.”
Plea For Calmness Amid Dialogue
The Educatio’s minister has pleaded with ASUU and other tertiary education unions to uphold calmness and proceed with dialogue, citing that the government is committed to providing long-term 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 stressed that the government’s approach looks to bring about sustainability and fiscal discipline while focusing on the sacrifices made by universities tutors and non-academic staff.
Minister Alausa reeled out several achievements recorded by the present government, including the resolution of promotion arrears, execution 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 Threatens Industrial Action 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).
‘It’s too late’ ─ ASUU
Reacting to FG’s late push to thwart ASUU’s threatened nationwide industrial action, the academic union says the appeal of the Federal Government of Nigeria to suspend proposed strike is rather too late.
The union blamed the government for its relentlessness to response to the demands, accusing the government for waiting for two working days before the strike ultimatum to appeal.
While responding to fielded questions on Thursday, ASUU President Chris Piwuna said during a live programme on Channels Television, ‘The Morning Brief.”
“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands.
“We went for a meeting in Sokoto, and at that time we were about to embark on a strike action. They gave us three weeks, we accepted the three weeks, but we never heard a word from them until the three weeks elapsed—not a word from them, courtesy to even say, ‘Oh gentlemen, we think we are running short, three weeks is around the corner, we are unable to meet with you on so-and-so date.’ Nothing, until we threatened action.
“Yesterday, they appealed to us not to embark on action. Our 2009 agreement—which is still being renegotiated after eight years—remains undone.
“We have not concluded on it, and two working days before a strike action, you come to appeal to us. I think the appeal has come a little too late,” he said.
