Education

FG Responds as ASUU Threatens Nationwide Strike

Published by admin on October 9th, 2025.

FG Responds as ASUU Threatens Nationwide Strike

The Federal Government has stepped in to prevent a nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by setting up a new committee to speed up talks with all unions in Nigeria’s higher institutions.

This move comes after ASUU announced that it is getting ready for industrial action, with plans to mobilise university staff across the country.

Government’s Plan to Prevent Strike

According to a statement seen on Wednesday, October 8, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the announcement during a meeting in Abuja. He said the committee, named the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institution Expanded Negotiation Committee, will handle talks with all university, polytechnic, and college unions under one platform.

“In the past, we had separate committees for each sector. That didn’t work well. Now we have one committee to talk to all the unions,” he said.

President Tinubu Wants Students to Stay in School

Dr Alausa said President Bola Tinubu gave a clear instruction: students must remain in school while all outstanding issues with the unions are settled through peaceful dialogue.

“We must do everything possible to stop a strike. The President wants students to keep learning,” he added.

₦200 Billion Education Support Package

To show its commitment, the government has released ₦200 billion to support the education sector. Out of this, ₦50 billion was used to pay earned academic allowances, while ₦150 billion has been set aside in the 2025 budget for university improvement projects.

Dr Alausa said the ₦150 billion will be released in three phases, with the first ₦50 billion already available.

“These efforts show the government is serious about improving education and honoring agreements with university staff,” he said.

FG Finalising New Offer to ASUU

He also said the government is wrapping up a counter-offer to ASUU, which will be sent to the new negotiation committee very soon.

Appeal for Patience

Dr Alausa urged ASUU and other unions to remain calm and continue discussions with the government instead of going on strike.

“Strikes shouldn’t be the first option. We know there have been long-standing problems, but this administration is committed to fixing them for good,” he said.

He also highlighted other steps taken by the current government, including payment of promotion arrears, a 25% wage increase, and teaching allowances. He promised that all outstanding payments will be cleared by 2026.

ASUU Issues Strike Warning

Earlier, ASUU gave the government a 14-day ultimatum to address their concerns. This decision followed a meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Sunday, September 28, at the University of Abuja.