The Federal Government has inaugurated a 25-member committee to establish the Nigerian Education Data Initiative, even as it clarified its stance on the long-running standoff with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, explained that contrary to public belief, the government had not signed any binding agreement with ASUU. He said the documents often cited in public discourse were draft proposals rather than enforceable accords.
“The Tinubu administration is committed to sustainable, constitutional solutions. We will no longer enter into bogus or unsustainable agreements but will adopt measures that keep universities open and learning uninterrupted,” the Minister said.
Alausa assured Nigerians that ongoing nationwide ASUU protests would not translate into a strike, noting that high-level engagements were underway to address grievances dating back to the 2009 agreement.
According to him, a meeting held on Wednesday, August 28, with the Ministers of Labour and State for Education, the Solicitor-General, Permanent Secretaries, and heads of key agencies, including the National Universities Commission, the Budget Office, and the Salaries and Wages Commission, reviewed ASUU’s submissions. A technical team is now working on a “clean report” for onward transmission to the Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiation committee.
He stressed that future agreements with the union would be practical, legally sound, and monitored by the Ministry of Justice to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions.
Meanwhile, ASUU has rejected the Minister’s claims. At a Lagos press briefing, the union’s zonal coordinator, Prof. Adesola Nassir, denied submitting any proposal to government, accusing the Federal Ministry of Education of misrepresenting facts.
“ASUU has no position proposal before the Federal Government. To describe the government’s position paper as ASUU’s is mischievous,” Nassir said. He added that the union was weary of delays, warning that further neglect of its demands—ranging from unpaid arrears to unmet infrastructure commitments—could force members to take decisive action.
The union maintains that the 2009 renegotiated agreement, which covers funding, welfare, and infrastructure, remains unimplemented. Successive strikes, including the eight-month shutdown of 2022, have stemmed from what ASUU describes as government’s failure to honour its obligations.
Nassir called on Nigerians to pressure the government to meet its commitments and prevent another round of disruptions in public universities.
