The Nigerian Senate has expressed strong disappointment over the Federal Government’s repeated failure to implement agreements reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), as the union’s two-week warning strike enters its second week.
Senator Mohammed Dandutse, who represents Katsina South and chairs the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with ASUU leadership in Abuja.
According to Dandutse, the Senate is committed to ensuring that the crisis between ASUU and the Federal Government is resolved without further delay. He revealed plans to convene a joint meeting involving the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and ASUU leaders early next week to find an amicable solution.
“The Senate is not happy that the agreement with ASUU has not been fulfilled,” Dandutse said. “We will study all the issues raised and face the Ministry of Education together by Tuesday or Wednesday to ensure these matters are settled once and for all.”
He further emphasized that the committee would present a comprehensive report to the Senate President and call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene personally, noting that education remains the backbone of national development.
ASUU’s Demands and the Current Crisis
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, accused the Federal Government of neglecting its responsibilities and underfunding public universities. He lamented that Nigerian lecturers are among the poorest paid in Africa, earning significantly less than their counterparts in Ghana, South Africa, and even Zimbabwe.
“A full professor in Nigeria earns less than ₦500,000 monthly, while in South Africa, the same rank earns around ₦6 million,” Piwuna stated. “This situation has made it impossible to attract or retain top academic talents.”
The union is demanding:
- Immediate payment of three and a half months’ withheld salaries;
- Release of unremitted pension deductions;
- Full disbursement of ₦50 billion revitalisation funds approved for public universities;
- Protection of the University of Abuja’s land from alleged encroachment by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ministry.
ASUU maintains that these demands are reasonable and essential for restoring stability and quality to Nigeria’s public university system.
Senate Backs ASUU’s Concerns
Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central) echoed ASUU’s frustrations, describing the state of Nigerian universities as “heartbreaking.”
“ASUU’s demands are not unreasonable,” he said. “What’s unacceptable is the government’s habit of signing agreements and failing to implement them.”
He added that the Senate would not allow Nigeria’s higher education system to collapse and urged the Federal Government to act swiftly to prevent further disruption to the academic calendar.
Union Ready to End Strike If FG Shows Commitment
Despite the ongoing strike, ASUU indicated readiness to suspend its industrial action immediately if the government demonstrates genuine commitment to addressing their concerns.
“We don’t want students at home or parents losing sleep,” Piwuna noted. “Give us a reason to believe, and we’ll end this strike immediately.”
However, he warned that without meaningful reforms and financial accountability, peace in the nation’s universities would remain elusive.
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