The Federal Government of Nigeria has established a 31-member committee to renegotiate its agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a bid to prevent a potential disruption to the academic calendar due to a looming strike.
According to the Ministry of Education, the panel is set to be inaugurated next Wednesday. This comes after ASUU issued a 14-day ultimatum for the government to address unresolved issues, including the implementation of the 2009 agreement and the release of withheld salaries.
In a statement, Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, confirmed the development: “The government has started working, and I am sure that ASUU won’t be embarking on a strike because a number of developments are ongoing. A 31-man renegotiation committee has been formed, and they will be inaugurated next Wednesday.”
ASUU is demanding the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021, as well as the payment of withheld salaries from the 2022 strike. The union is also seeking funds for the revitalization of public universities and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, both of which are partially captured in the 2023 budget.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed frustration with the government’s lack of action, stating, “The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from the government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud.”
The government’s latest move comes as part of an effort to address these grievances and prevent further disruption to Nigeria’s public university system.
