FG, ASUU in Crucial Talks Today to Avert Nationwide Strike
The Federal Government will today meet with leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Abuja in a last-minute move to prevent another nationwide strike.
The meeting, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Ministry of Education conference room, will be chaired by the Minister of Education and attended by the Minister of Labour, representatives of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, and the Solicitor-General. It is expected to focus on the renegotiated 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement and other unresolved demands of the lecturers.
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Government officials said a counter-offer would be presented with a timetable for phased implementation of the agreement, which has stalled for years. But ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, insisted the union was not formally invited, although other union leaders confirmed receiving notification before Tuesday’s protest rallies.
ASUU members on Tuesday staged peaceful demonstrations across campuses nationwide to draw attention to issues including the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, revitalisation of public universities, withheld salaries, payment arrears, and alleged victimisation of members in some institutions.
Zonal leaders of the union, including those from the Nsukka Zone, have warned that unless the Federal Government signs and begins implementing the renegotiated agreement submitted since February 2025, lecturers may “return to the trenches.”
The recurring dispute dates back to the 2009 agreement under late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, which promised revitalisation funds, improved welfare for lecturers, and university autonomy. Its partial or non-implementation by successive administrations has repeatedly triggered strikes, costing the academic system years of lost study time.
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Today’s meeting is seen as a test of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to breaking the cycle. ASUU leaders have already cautioned that failure to reach a clear resolution would leave them with no option but to embark on another strike.