The Federal Government has announced that it has entered the concluding stage of negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education unions.
Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting of the Technical Working Group on the Conditions of Service for ASUU.
Alausa expressed confidence that pending issues would soon be resolved to prevent further disruptions in the nation’s university system.
He explained that the committee was finalising a counter-offer to be presented to the unions through the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiation Committee.
According to him, the exercise aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that all measures should be taken to keep students in school and maintain a stable academic calendar.
“The President has made it clear that our children must remain in school,” Alausa said. “The technical working group is finalising components of the new conditions of service and will soon present a counter-offer to the unions.”
The minister noted that about 80 per cent of the demands made by the unions were similar across tertiary institutions, while the remaining 20 per cent were peculiar to specific sectors.
He added that the present administration had made progress with the payment of ₦50 billion in Earned Academic Allowances and earmarked another ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be released in three phases.
Alausa stressed that while government might not be able to meet every demand at once, it remains committed to improving the welfare of academic and non-academic staff.
He also confirmed that issues relating to promotion arrears, teaching, and wage awards were being addressed, with all outstanding obligations expected to be cleared by 2026.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to dialogue and mutual understanding, urging all tertiary institution unions to exercise patience as final agreements are concluded.
He further disclosed that, for the first time, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and officials of the Ministry of Justice were directly involved in the talks — a move aimed at ensuring all agreements reached are legally sound and fully enforceable.