The Federal Government says it has entered the final phase of negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education unions to resolve lingering issues and prevent another round of strikes.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday during a meeting of the Technical Working Group on Conditions of Service of ASUU.
Alausa said the ongoing talks aim to reach a lasting solution to disputes that have frequently disrupted Nigeria’s university calendar.
According to him, the Technical Working Group is finalising a counter-offer to be presented to the unions through the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiations Committee in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that Nigerian students must remain in school.
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“The President has made it clear that our children must remain in school. The technical working group is working to finalise a component of the condition of service that has to be proposed. They are working to finalise a counter-offer to them.
“Hopefully by the end of today, or latest tomorrow, the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expected Negotiations Committee will receive that counter-offer to ASUU.”
Backstory
The tensions did not begin overnight. For years, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been pushing the federal government to fully implement agreements, especially the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement which promised improved funding, better conditions for lecturers, and infrastructure support. These promises have been repeatedly stalled by successive administrations, leaving many of the agreed reforms unfulfilled.
In an attempt to ease tensions, the federal government, however, disbursed N50 billion to settle outstanding earned allowances owed to academic and non-academic staff in federal universities
As of May 2025, ASUU was still threatening nationwide industrial action because those bilateral commitments remained unresolved. The union members staged nationwide university protests in August across multiple universities, underlining the frustration felt by lecturers.
Last month, the union issued a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government to address its unresolved demands. If the government fails to act within that timeframe, ASUU plans a two-week warning strike, followed by a potential indefinite shutdown of public universities.
Progress on meeting union demands
The minister noted that about 80% of the demands presented by tertiary education unions were similar, while the remaining 20% reflected sector-specific concerns.
He added that the Technical Working Group, inaugurated earlier in the week, had started intensive deliberations to speed up agreement and implementation timelines.
Alausa highlighted that the administration had already made significant progress by addressing some of the financial concerns raised by the unions. According to the minister, President Tinubu had approved and released N50 billion for the payment of the Earned Academic Allowance, while an additional N150 billion was included in the 2025 budget for needs assessment in tertiary institutions.
“In addition, N150 billion was included in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, and this will be released in three tranches, with the first N50 billion ready.
“They (lecturers) deserve to be paid so much and our academic and non-academic staff. But then, we can’t give you everything you want at the same time.
“But it’s the gesture, our benevolence, commitment to at least get substantial benefits and financial reward to you.
“This government is doing other things to improve your welfare. At this point, we’ve addressed several of the issues that we’ve brought up,” he said.
Outstanding arrears and allowances
Alausa confirmed that promotion arrears and other outstanding allowances, including teaching and wage awards, had been addressed. He also stated that all remaining areas would be cleared by 2026.
The minister reaffirmed that the government is committed to ensuring mutual respect and lasting stability within the education sector. He urged academic and non-academic unions to remain patient and avoid industrial action while ongoing negotiations are concluded.
“We have resolved a lot of these issues. But we know the final part is the condition of service. We will resolve that as well.
“So we are pleading with the unions, both academic and non-academic and tertiary institutions to be patient. This government is sincere and we are truthful.
“We have shown you this over the last 24 months plus, that the administration of President Bola Tinubu came on board. So please bear with us and be patient,” Alausa said.
- For the first time, Alausa noted that the Solicitor General of the Federation and officials of the Ministry of Justice are directly involved in the negotiation process to ensure that all agreements reached are legally sound and enforceable.
- The minister maintained that these measures reflect the government’s commitment to sustainable reform in Nigeria’s tertiary education system and the welfare of its workforce.
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