After months of protest, the Academic Staff Union of Universities has agreed to sit down with the Federal Government to discuss the next steps.
The meeting is expected to provide a final resolution to long-standing issues between ASUU and the FG. This is not the first time members of ASUU have gone on a nationwide strike, and if their terms are not met, it likely will not be the last. The long-running agitation between the two parties stems from the underpayment of university staff and the withholding of salaries.
Earlier this year, the administration of President Bola Tinubu released N50 billion to settle earned academic allowances owed to university lecturers and staff. However, ASUU has consistently demanded clear commitments on improved salaries, conditions of service, university funding, autonomy, and a review of laws governing the National Universities Commission and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
Speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, ASUU President Prof. Chris Piwuna said the union expected commitment from the government.
“I truly hope they will come up with something tangible. Our members are tired of words and no action.”
Piwuna, however, clarified that ASUU was not invited to today’s meeting. He said the union was done with nationwide protests and would hold congresses to decide its next line of action.
“We don’t have any meeting with the Federal Government tomorrow (today). It’s their meeting, we’re not involved. We have not received any invitation yet for a meeting with the Federal Government.
“However, we’ll let Nigerians know our next line of action after the protests. We operate from the bottom up. The protests are over, so we’ll go back to our members and ask them what is next, and we’ll do exactly what they want us to do as elected representatives.”
ASUU members have said they are tired of the back-and-forth negotiations that have been ongoing since 2009. In December 2024, negotiations were formally concluded and submitted, but while ASUU stuck to its side of the deal, the government has yet to disburse the funds owed.
At a press conference in Abuja, ASUU’s Abuja zonal coordinator, Prof. Al-Amin Abdullahi, said earlier reports never advanced beyond “filing cabinets” and warned that failure to act could trigger another shutdown of public universities. ASUU also rejected the government’s offer of loan-style “support funds” in place of cash entitlements.
The meeting slated for today will involve the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Labour, representatives of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, and the solicitor-general. According to reports, the aim of the meeting is to deliver a clear timetable and phased implementation for the new negotiated plans.
