FG, ASUU Meet Today as Alausa Pushes for Resolution
In an effort to finally resolve the ongoing issues surrounding the 2009 ASUU agreement, a crucial meeting is set to take place in Abuja today, where the federal government will present a counteroffer to university educators in hopes of turning years of stalled negotiations into actionable commitments with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Sources indicate that Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, will participate alongside the Minister of Labour, representatives from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), and the Solicitor-General to meet with ASUU leaders in Abuja to explore ways to effectively implement the renegotiated 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement and other relevant reports generated in their latest negotiations.
Officials have stated that the meeting will be responsible for establishing a clear schedule for signing and phased execution.
This urgent action follows warnings from ASUU branches across the country, indicating that their patience has worn thin after the renegotiation process concluded in December 2024 and was formally submitted to the government in February 2025.
Union leaders emphasize that the draft now needs to be signed and implemented to prevent another nationwide closure of public universities.
At a recent press conference in Abuja, ASUU’s Zonal Coordinator for the Abuja Zone, Prof. Al-Amin Abdullahi, highlighted that the union has fulfilled its obligations and expects the government to act decisively by accepting the report without further delay.
The contentious 2009 agreement, which serves as the cornerstone of this dispute, was signed during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and included commitments for comprehensive reforms to Nigeria’s public universities, such as ongoing revitalization funding, institutional autonomy, a negotiated salary and benefits package for academic staff, and an oversight framework for implementation.
The partial or complete failure to implement this agreement over various administrations has resulted in repeated strikes.
Analysts estimate that since 1999, the cumulative industrial actions by ASUU and other unions have cost the education system nearly five years of academic time, a disruption that has diminished trust in the country’s higher education sector.
However, stakeholders and government insiders argue that what distinguishes the current situation is the approach taken by Education Minister Tunji Alausa, who has balanced immediate corrective measures with long-term structural reforms.
Earlier this year, the Tinubu administration allocated N50 billion to address long-standing earned academic allowances (EAA) owed to university lecturers and staff, a debt that had lingered for almost two decades and had frequently incited strikes. “This initiative, which was directly attributed to Alausa’s intervention, was positively received across campuses as a restoration of trust and a sign that the government could finally deliver on its promises.
In addition to settling arrears, Alausa has introduced the Diaspora BRIDGE Initiative, a digital platform aimed at linking Nigerian professionals abroad with local universities for mentorship, guest lectures, research partnerships, and curriculum support.
Prominent voices in policy, such as Dr. Dakuku Peterside and Prof. Yemi Oke, have praised this initiative as a strategic and credible means of converting brain drain into brain circulation, further demonstrating that the current administration is addressing educational reform as a systemic issue rather than a temporary fix.
Today’s meeting will tackle pressing challenges, as insiders from both the education and labor ministries have indicated that its focus will be on reconciling the Yayale Ahmed draft completed in December 2024 with the original 2009 agreement and subsequent reports, such as the Nimi Briggs recommendations, while aligning fiscal commitments within the national budget, and creating a legally solid document for signing.
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