The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will on Wednesday convene a crucial National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to review the Federal Government’s final offer following weeks of stalled negotiations and an expired one-month ultimatum.
The meeting will determine whether the union will proceed with a fresh nationwide strike after accusing the government of failing to fully meet its longstanding demands. ASUU is insisting on the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 Agreement, payment of outstanding salary arrears, earned academic allowances, withheld deductions, promotion arrears, and the release of revitalisation funds for public universities.
Government officials, however, maintain that most of ASUU’s demands have already been addressed. The Federal Government recently reconstituted its tertiary-institutions negotiation committee and held back-to-back meetings with the union this week in a bid to avert industrial action. The Education Minister also insists that substantial provisions have been made in the national budget for university funding.
Despite this, ASUU says critical issues remain unresolved, warning that lecturers are running out of patience. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared its support for ASUU should the union resort to strikes, saying the government must honour all agreements reached.
Wednesday’s NEC meeting will be decisive for millions of students across public universities who fear another academic disruption. The outcome will shape the immediate future of Nigeria’s tertiary education system and determine whether classrooms remain open or shut down once again.