NLC and leaders of tertiary education unions meet in Abuja to seek lasting solutions to the ASUU strike and restore stability to Nigeria’s public universities.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has convened an emergency meeting with the leadership of major tertiary education unions to address the ongoing strike that has crippled academic activities across Nigerian universities and other higher institutions.
The meeting, currently taking place at the NLC headquarters in Abuja, brings together leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP).
According to the NLC, the engagement aims to find a lasting solution to the lingering labour crisis in tertiary institutions and review unresolved issues from failed negotiations with the Federal Government.
ASUU National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, had on Sunday announced the union’s nationwide strike during a press briefing at the University of Abuja, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government on September 28.
He cited the government’s failure to implement the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, settle salary arrears, and address funding gaps in the university system.
“Unresolved issues relating to staff welfare, infrastructure, withheld salaries and the 2009 agreement remain major concerns,” Piwuna said.
Although the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, recently stated that talks had reached an advanced stage — including the release of ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances and ₦150 billion allocated in the 2025 budget for needs assessment — ASUU dismissed the measures as “grossly inadequate.”
The union is demanding full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries, release of cooperative deductions, and a sustainable funding model for public universities.
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The NLC, in its invitation letter to the unions, reaffirmed its “total solidarity” with the academic bodies, insisting that the government must honour collective agreements and uphold the rights of workers.
Today’s closed-door meeting is expected to outline coordinated action plans and propose a unified framework for engagement with the Federal Government — with the goal of restoring stability and ensuring quality in Nigeria’s public tertiary education sector.
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