The Nigerian Senate has stepped in to mediate the ongoing crisis between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government, following the declaration of a two-week warning strike by the union.
The intervention was led by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Muntari Dandutse, who disclosed the move on Friday after a closed-door meeting with ASUU executives at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
The strike, declared by ASUU earlier in the week, is a warning move meant to press home the union’s longstanding demands, which include sustainable funding for universities, better conditions of service, and respect for university autonomy and academic freedom.
Speaking after the meeting, Senator Dandutse acknowledged the “concerns and frustrations” that led ASUU to take action, and assured that the Senate would treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves.
“We recognise the critical role our universities play in shaping the future of our nation,” he said. “We are not in support of any academic strike, nor are we in support of threats from the executive. We are elected to provide oversight and ensure the system works efficiently.”
He noted that the issue of strikes in Nigeria’s universities has been recurring for too long and needs a holistic and lasting solution.
“If you look at the situation in Nigeria, it has been a long-standing and repeated issue. We need to address it holistically, and at the end of the process, it will benefit us all,” Dandutse said.
The Senate Committee resolved to forward its position to the Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC), with the aim of starting immediate negotiations to end the impasse.
Additionally, Dandutse said the Senate would intervene in the land dispute involving the University of Abuja and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, which ASUU said had become a fresh source of concern.
“We have agreed to interface with the Minister of FCT to resolve the issue of University of Abuja’s land, which was taken from them. Other needs will be studied, and appropriate steps will be taken to ensure an amicable resolution,” he added.
Earlier in the meeting, ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, confirmed the commencement of the two-week warning strike and stressed that the current ASUU leadership inherited the unresolved issues.
“Unfortunately, the journey that led us here didn’t start with this executive. The main issue is the sustainable funding of tertiary education,” he said.
Piwuna listed other critical demands, including:
Improved conditions of service for lecturers
Respect for university autonomy
Protection of academic freedom
Good governance within university systems
He also brought up the land dispute involving the University of Abuja, accusing the FCT Minister of attempting to illegally revoke land belonging to the institution.
“Despite several appeals by our union and the University of Abuja branch, the minister is still bent on taking over the university’s land,” Piwuna said, urging the Senate to step in.
Piwuna further appealed to the Senate to increase budgetary allocations to the education sector, which has suffered years of underfunding.
“Improving the condition of Nigerian universities requires clear financial commitment from the government. Without that, we will keep seeing more strikes and decay in the system,” he said.
ASUU has long criticised the government for neglecting the education sector, particularly public universities, which serve the majority of Nigerian students. Past agreements between the union and the Federal Government, especially those involving funding and revitalisation of public universities, have either been partially implemented or ignored.
In a separate interview with journalists, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau said the Senate is committed to resolving the strike and ensuring students do not suffer.
“Education, as I always say, is the bedrock of every society. We cannot afford to have our children, who are mostly in public universities, stay at home,” Barau said.
He also expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working behind the scenes to end the crisis.
“The President is fully committed to resolving the challenges in the education sector. I’m sure he’s working round the clock to settle this matter,” he added.
ASUU has a long history of strikes in Nigeria, usually over unfulfilled agreements with the Federal Government. Some of the key issues include:
Implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement
The need for revitalisation funds for universities
Opposition to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which ASUU argues undermines university autonomy
The most recent major strike was in 2022, lasting eight months and disrupting academic activities nationwide.
As the current warning strike enters its first week, there are concerns among students, parents, and university workers that it could escalate into a full-blown industrial action if not resolved quickly.
