The National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will meet on Wednesday to determine the union’s next line of action, following the conclusion of renegotiation efforts led by the Yayale Ahmed committee set up by the Federal Government. The outcome of this NEC meeting is expected to shape the immediate future of academic activities in public universities nationwide.
In a last-minute bid to avert a fresh shutdown of universities, the Federal Government’s renegotiation team reconvened talks with ASUU on Monday. The meeting, which began yesterday, is scheduled to formally conclude today (Tuesday), according to a senior ASUU NEC member who spoke anonymously due to restrictions on media engagement during the negotiation process. The source confirmed that the union would decide its next steps immediately after the discussions ended.
“The renegotiation meeting started on Monday and will end on Tuesday. After that, NEC will meet and determine our next steps by Wednesday. Everyone will know the outcome then,” the member stated, hinting at the weight of the decisions ahead. The union’s one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government expired on Saturday, raising fears of an imminent industrial action as tension grows across campuses.
ASUU has repeatedly accused the government of a “nonchalant” approach to its longstanding demands. These include the review and implementation of the 2009 ASUU–FG agreement, payment of outstanding salaries, settlement of earned academic allowances, and the release of revitalisation funds required to improve infrastructure and research quality across universities.
Despite the rising tension, the government insists progress has been made. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, currently out of the country maintained two weeks ago that the Federal Government had met “nearly all” of ASUU’s demands. He reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s instruction that no strike must occur in public universities, stressing that efforts were ongoing to stabilise the academic calendar.
“As I told you, the President has mandated us that he doesn’t want ASUU to go on strike, and we’re doing everything humanly possible to ensure that our students stay in school,” the minister said. “We’ve met nearly all their requirements and have returned to the negotiation table. We will resolve this.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind ASUU, warning that it will stand firmly with the union if the government fails to address the outstanding issues. According to the NLC, the concerns raised by ASUU reflect broader systemic neglect of the education sector and require urgent, sincere intervention.
As stakeholders await the outcome of Wednesday’s NEC meeting, uncertainty continues to cloud the fate of millions of students in public universities. The next 48 hours are expected to be decisive in determining whether Nigeria’s higher education system will experience yet another round of disruptions.
