The Federal Government has declared that it has met nearly all the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), describing the union’s recent industrial action as unnecessary.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, stated this on Tuesday while briefing State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the minister, his meeting with the President focused on the ongoing negotiations with ASUU and efforts to secure further concessions to prevent future strikes.
“The President has mandated that there should be no strike in our public universities. We’re doing everything humanly possible to ensure students remain in school. The last six-day strike was really not needed,” Alausa said.
He added that the government has “literally met” ASUU’s key demands and remains in constant dialogue with union leaders to achieve lasting peace in the education sector.
“We’ve met almost all their requirements. We are back at the negotiation table, and I spoke with the ASUU leadership this morning. This issue will be resolved soon,” he assured.
Dr. Alausa praised President Tinubu’s “fervent love for education and human capital development,” noting that the administration’s ongoing economic and institutional reforms—such as the removal of fuel subsidy, foreign exchange unification, and new tax legislation—are already strengthening the economy.
The minister also dismissed claims that the government prioritizes ASUU over other tertiary institution unions, clarifying that all academic and non-academic unions now negotiate under a single, unified committee led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.
“Unlike before, where separate committees handled universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, we now have one negotiation committee that engages all unions collectively,” he said.
Addressing reports of a four-week ultimatum allegedly issued by joint tertiary unions and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the minister denied its existence.
“There is no such ultimatum. I spoke to the ASUP President yesterday. Everything is calm, and this is a listening government committed to resolving all outstanding issues,” he clarified.
Alausa also revealed that the government has cleared arrears, earned academic allowances, and introduced a federal tertiary institution governance and transparency dashboard to promote accountability in university funding and performance.
He stressed that the platform provides open access to data on budget allocations, grants, and other financial details, reinforcing President Tinubu’s commitment to transparency and sustainable education development.
“President Tinubu is deeply committed to education and human capital growth,” Alausa concluded.