FG Urged to Honour Agreement with ASUU
The Federal Government (FG) has been called upon to honour its long-standing agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to avert another round of industrial action that could disrupt academic activities across Nigerian universities.
Education stakeholders, labour unions, and civil society groups made the appeal on Friday, warning that continued neglect of the government’s obligations under the 2009 and 2020 renegotiated agreements would further deepen the crisis in the education sector.
The agreements, which cover issues such as university funding, earned academic allowances, salary structure, and revitalisation of public institutions, have remained a source of tension between ASUU and successive governments.
In a statement, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, emphasized that the union has shown enough restraint and patience but that “government insincerity continues to undermine trust.” He urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take concrete steps to implement the pending agreements rather than make fresh promises.
“We are not interested in strike actions, but when agreements are ignored, the union has no choice but to defend the dignity of Nigerian universities,” Osodeke stated.
Several student unions have also appealed to both parties to resolve the dispute through dialogue, noting that the frequent strikes over the years have led to academic delays, brain drain, and declining educational standards.
Analysts argue that fulfilling ASUU’s demands could significantly improve the quality of higher education and restore confidence in Nigeria’s public universities.
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