The federal government has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education unions to exercise patience as it enters the final phase of negotiations over their conditions of service.
Gatekeepers News reports that Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting of the technical working group on the conditions of service for public university lecturers.
Alausa expressed optimism that the remaining issues would soon be settled to prevent another round of industrial action.
“We have resolved a lot of these issues. But we know the final part is the condition of service. We will resolve that as well,” he said.
“So we are pleading with the unions, both academic and non-academic, to be patient. This government is sincere and we are truthful.”
The minister said the government’s sincerity has been evident through the payment of ₦50 billion in earned academic allowances over the past two years.
He added that ₦150 billion has been earmarked in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches, with the first ₦50 billion ready for release.
According to Alausa, other pending entitlements — including promotion arrears, teaching allowances, and wage awards — have been addressed, while the remaining obligations will be cleared by 2026.
He revealed that the technical working group is finalising a counteroffer to be presented to the unions through the federal government’s tertiary institutions negotiations committee by October 9.
“Our goal is to ensure Nigerian students remain in school and avoid any disruption,” Alausa said.
While acknowledging that lecturers “deserve to be paid so much,” the minister explained that the government cannot meet all demands at once. He noted that 80 per cent of the unions’ demands are similar across tertiary institutions, with the remaining 20 per cent being sector-specific.
Alausa also disclosed that the Solicitor-General and officials from the Ministry of Justice are participating in the negotiations to ensure that any agreements reached are legally binding.
ASUU had earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum, expiring on October 13, 2025, after which it plans to embark on a two-week warning strike if the government fails to sign and implement the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
That agreement outlines the federal government’s commitments to revitalise public universities, improve staff welfare, and strengthen university autonomy.
