The Nigerian Senate has announced plans to convene an urgent negotiation meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to address the ongoing two-week warning strike that has disrupted academic activities across the country.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Aliyu Dandutse, disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with ASUU leaders in Abuja. He described the Federal Government’s failure to honour agreements reached with the union since 2011 as “unacceptable.”
“The Senate will immediately initiate a negotiation process involving all key stakeholders, including ASUU, the Ministry of Education, and the National Universities Commission (NUC), to find a lasting resolution to this crisis,” Dandutse stated.
The committee also promised to intervene in the University of Abuja land dispute, noting that discussions would be held with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to resolve the issue amicably.
“We will engage with the FCT Minister on the land matter, and other issues raised by ASUU will be reviewed carefully to ensure an amicable and permanent solution,” Dandutse added.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, speaking after the meeting, said the warning strike stemmed from unresolved issues dating back more than a decade.
“We engaged the Federal Government for eight years without meaningful progress. The Yayale Ahmed Committee report submitted in December 2024 was ignored until this strike began,” he explained.
Piwuna reiterated that the union’s demands remain consistent — including adequate and sustainable funding, improved conditions of service, revitalization of public universities, and protection of academic autonomy.
He urged the Senate to pressure the Federal Government to fulfil its financial commitments to the education sector.
“Push the government to adequately fund universities, and you’ll see the end of strikes. Our institutions will rise again in global rankings,” Piwuna said.
The ASUU president also disclosed that although the National Assembly approved ₦150 billion for university revitalization, only ₦50 billion had been released so far.
The Senate committee has requested a comprehensive written list of ASUU’s demands to enable the legislature to propose immediate and long-term policy interventions aimed at restoring stability and quality in Nigeria’s public universities.
