Senate Steps In To End ASUU Strike, Sets Meeting With Education Minister And NUC
The Senate has stepped into the ongoing standoff between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as efforts intensify to end the current two-week warning strike.
The Senate Committees on Labour, Tertiary Institutions, and TETFUND are set to meet with Education Minister Tunji Alausa and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, on Tuesday next week.
This session will follow a committee meeting with ASUU leadership held today at the National Assembly.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja after the closed-door meeting with ASUU, Senator Muntari Dandutse (APC, Katsina South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, said the committees had carefully considered ASUU’s demands and are prepared to present them to the relevant authorities.
He stated, “After meeting with ASUU’s national leadership on resolving the ongoing strike and preventing it from becoming indefinite, we agreed to convene a critical meeting with key government agencies, particularly the Minister of Education and the Executive Secretary of NUC, on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.
“We have also decided to engage the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to halt any encroachment on the University of Abuja’s land.”
Before the closed-door session, ASUU National President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, stressed that increased funding for universities by the Federal Government, in line with previous agreements, is crucial to ending the strike.
He highlighted that sustainable investment in education is essential to preventing recurring industrial actions and improving the global ranking of Nigerian universities. The current two-week warning strike, he said, stems 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 largely ignored until this strike began,” Piwuna explained.
On delayed funding, he revealed that although the National Assembly approved N150 billion for universities, only N50 billion has been released. He claimed the funds remain with the Ministry of Education, where the minister reportedly intends to distribute it among universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, despite separate budget allocations.
Piwuna warned that the N150 billion approved specifically for universities must be used solely for that purpose.
