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ASUU Strike Won’t Halt NELFUND Operations — Official

In an interview on Channels Television’s morning show, The Morning Brief, on Tuesday, Akintunde Sawyerr, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, voiced his hope that the ongoing talks between the Federal Government and ASUU, led by Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, would yield fair and positive results.

“As you are aware, the strike has just begun, and I am confident that under the competent leadership of the Honorable Minister for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the negotiations will progress positively,” Sawyerr stated.

She noted that the extension aimed to ensure all eligible students were accurately captured and confirmed by their institutions as part of the current 2024/2025 NELFUND loan application process.

Sawyerr expressed that NELFUND is assured that the ministry’s initiatives “will strive for fairness and equity, leading to appropriate results” and guaranteed that this development “will not disrupt our operations because the Federal Government’s arrangement with NELFUND is designed to address various educational issues.”

“I don’t believe this should be compromised at all,” he added. “While the funding NELFUND is offering is directed toward students, the broader context is also being effectively managed under the leadership of Dr. Tunji Alausa. Therefore, I do not wish to preempt any of those discussions or negotiations.”

He stressed that the agency aims to ensure students are not adversely affected by the strike, highlighting the necessity of closely monitoring the situation before making any statements.

“The reality is that we don’t want students to be negatively impacted in any manner,” he remarked. “That said, we must remain closely connected to the discussions and carefully observe how the situation develops before we can begin to communicate any potential effects on NELFUND.”

He clarified that the agency is requesting guidance from the Minister of Education regarding the next steps, indicating that the discussions surrounding the strike are still ongoing.

“We are looking for direction from the Honorable Minister, who is our leader in this matter, and I will follow his guidance on how to proceed,” Sawyerr mentioned. “As of now, it will not influence upkeep, but since negotiations are still in progress, we must adapt accordingly.”

He reiterated that NELFUND, as part of the present administration, is committed to enhancing other initiatives to ensure that education remains effective in Nigeria.

“I do not want to make any statements until I receive instructions from the Honorable Minister, who will guide us in this matter, as this is all part of the broader strategy to make education function in Nigeria,” he concluded.

His remarks followed ASUU’s rejection of the Federal Government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ directive, affirming that the union will not be cowed by threats.

The FUND announced over the weekend the final reopening of its loan application portal, allowing tertiary institutions that have not yet completed their student verification process to do so.

A statement released to journalists in Abuja on Friday by the Director of Strategic Communications of the Fund, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, stated that the portal would be available from 12:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, until 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

He stated that the union remained cohesive and would resist what he called the government’s efforts to create divisions within the academic community.

“We do not yield to threats, and no one can intimidate us,” Piwuna asserted.

Piwuna emphasized that all academic organizations, including the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), were united in their support for the strike.

‘No Pay During Strike’

On Monday, the federal government instructed universities to adopt the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against lecturers involved in the ongoing two-week warning strike.

This directive was issued in a circular dated October 13, signed by the Minister of Education.

The minister expressed the government’s dissatisfaction with ASUU’s choice to initiate a nationwide strike, despite ongoing discussions and pleas for dialogue.

“In accordance with existing labor laws, the federal government reaffirms its stance on the application of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy concerning any employee who does not fulfill their official responsibilities during the strike period,” the letter partially stated.