How FG Can End Perennial Strikes in Nigerian Universities — ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Federal Government to substantially increase funding for public universities, insisting that adequate investment in education remains the only sustainable way to end frequent strikes and improve Nigeria’s position in global university rankings.

Speaking before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund at the National Assembly on Friday, ASUU warned that the challenges confronting higher education in the country would persist without consistent and adequate funding.

ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, who represented the union, explained that the ongoing two-week warning strike stemmed from unresolved issues dating back to 2011.

“We engaged the Federal Government for eight years without tangible results.

“The Yayale Ahmed Committee report, submitted in December 2024, was ignored until this industrial action began,” Piwuna said.

He noted that the union’s key demands, including sustainable funding, improved conditions of service, revitalisation of public universities, and academic autonomy, remain unchanged.

The union also urged the Senate committee to pressure the government into providing the necessary funds.

“Try us. Push government to fund universities adequately and you’ll see the end of strikes and the improvement of our universities in global rankings,” the ASUU president told the senators.

Addressing issues of delayed funding, Piwuna disclosed that although the National Assembly approved N150 billion for universities, only N50 billion had so far been released.

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He further alleged that the amount remains held up at the Ministry of Education, where the minister intends to distribute it among universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, despite separate allocations for those institutions.

He warned that the N150 billion approved specifically for universities must be utilised for its intended purpose.

Tribune Online reports that ASUU had declared a two-week warning strike beginning on October 13.

The union has been at odds with the government over lecturers’ working conditions, the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld salaries, and sustainable funding for the revitalisation of public universities.

However, the government maintained that it had addressed all of ASUU’s demands and was open to continued negotiations to avert the strike.

Following the commencement of the strike, the Federal Government implemented the no-work, no-pay policy against the striking lecturers.