The Federal Government has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to dialogue rather than resorting to strike action, warning that the “no work, no pay” principle could be invoked if the industrial action disrupts academic activities.
In a statement issued last night by the Ministry of Education, the government said it had met most of ASUU’s demands and saw no justification for the two-week warning strike declared by the union.
“While government remains committed to peaceful dialogue, it will equally enforce existing laws to protect the integrity of our education system and ensure accountability,” the ministry said.
ASUU had earlier directed its members to embark on a two-week warning strike beginning today over what it described as the government’s failure to honour outstanding agreements. The union also warned that the strike could become indefinite if the issues were not resolved.
If carried out, the strike will once again halt academic activities across public universities.
Government: We’ve Met Most Demands
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmed, said the government had addressed most of ASUU’s concerns during recent negotiations.
According to sources familiar with the talks, the meeting involved both ministers, permanent secretaries from the Ministries of Education and Labour, the Solicitor-General of the Federation, and officials from the National Salaries and Wages Commission.
An official close to the negotiation expressed frustration at the union’s decision, saying:
“What do the lecturers want? The government put all cards on the table and made offers that addressed almost all the requests. Yet, ASUU said it would study the proposals before responding, but they never did. Instead, they made good their threat to strike. There is more to this.”
A statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, on behalf of the two ministers, said the Federal Government had made a “comprehensive offer” to ASUU and was still awaiting a formal response.
“The offer addresses the union’s major concerns, including conditions of service, institutional governance, and staff welfare,” the statement said.
“All matters relating to the review of conditions of service have been duly addressed, except those within the jurisdiction of individual university governing councils, which are actively being handled.”
The ministers emphasised that the government had shown sincerity and commitment to the welfare of lecturers and the stability of the university system.
“However, ASUU has not reciprocated this gesture and appears determined to proceed with the planned strike despite the pending offer and ongoing engagement,” they added.
They reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains committed to reforms anchored on fairness, accountability, and institutional strengthening to ensure sustainable academic excellence.
The ministers also clarified that issues relating to internal governance, appointments, and promotions fall under the purview of university governing councils and should be handled at the institutional level.
“We are confident that with continued dialogue, every legitimate concern can be resolved without shutting down our campuses. Our students must remain in school. The future of our children and the stability of our universities must take priority over disputes,” the statement added.
ASUU: Strike Is Inevitable
However, ASUU President Prof. Chris Piwuna insisted that the warning strike was “inevitable,” blaming government insensitivity and failure to implement previous agreements.
He said the strike followed a 14-day ultimatum that expired yesterday and could be escalated if the government failed to meet the union’s seven-point demands.
According to him, the demands include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, improved funding for public universities, revitalisation projects, an end to the alleged victimisation of ASUU members, payment of outstanding salary and promotion arrears, and remittance of third-party deductions.
“We urge Nigerians to prevail on the government to resolve these lingering issues for the soul of public education in Nigeria,” Piwuna said.
CONUA Distances Itself from Strike
Meanwhile, the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has distanced itself from ASUU’s strike action.
In a statement signed by its National President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, the group said it would not participate in the industrial action, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring uninterrupted academic activities in universities.
