The Nigerian Senate has committed to intervening in the protracted labour crisis between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government (FG, expressing serious concern over the continuous failure to meet the union’s demands.
Senator Aliyu Dandutse, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with the ASUU leadership.
He criticised the stalled negotiations as “unacceptable” and announced that the Senate would promptly initiate a tripartite negotiation process.
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This process will bring together ASUU, the Ministry of Education, and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to forge a lasting solution to the instability plaguing the university system.
To specifically address the contentious issue of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) land, the committee confirmed it will meet with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to seek an amicable resolution.
The Senate noted it would study all issues raised and take appropriate steps for a permanent settlement.
The committee further requested that ASUU submit a detailed written list of their demands to enable the Senate to formulate the necessary legislative and policy actions.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, represented the union and reiterated that their core demands—including sustainable funding, improved conditions of service, revitalisation of public universities, and academic autonomy—remain unchanged.
He stated that the current two-week warning strike, which began on October 13, stems from unresolved issues dating back to 2011, including the ignored Yayale Ahmed Committee report submitted in December 2024.
Piwuna challenged the Senate to compel the government to sufficiently finance universities, arguing that this is the only way to end recurrent strikes and improve the global ranking of Nigerian institutions.
He raised an alarm over funding delays, pointing out that despite the National Assembly approving ₦150 billion for universities, only ₦50 billion has been released.
He further claimed that this partial release is being withheld at the Ministry of Education, where the minister allegedly plans to dilute the funds by sharing them among universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, despite separate appropriations for the latter two.
ASUU insisted that the full ₦150 billion must be strictly used for its intended purpose—university revitalisation.
Regarding the UniAbuja land, ASUU expressed worry over alleged attempts by Wike to encroach upon a section of the university’s 10,000 hectares.
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“Anyone serious about higher education should be focused on developing it,” the union stressed, appealing to the Senate to compel the Minister to respect the university’s land boundaries.
In response to the strike, the Federal Government maintains it has addressed all outstanding matters and imposed a ‘no-work, no-pay’ policy on the striking lecturers.
