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The Nigerian Senate vowed to mediate the ongoing industrial dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the government, criticising the government for its continued failure to meet the union’s demands.
Senator Aliyu Dandutse, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, disclosed this after a closed-door session with ASUU leaders.
He said the Senate would immediately begin a negotiation process involving key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to seek a lasting solution.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the University of Abuja’s land, Dandutse confirmed that the Senate would also meet with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to resolve the issue amicably.
“The Senate will engage with the FCT Minister on the land matter, and all other concerns will be carefully reviewed. Steps will be taken to ensure a lasting resolution,” he stated.
The committee urged ASUU to formally submit a detailed list of its demands to enable lawmakers to consider both immediate and long-term policy and legislative actions to address the crisis in the education sector.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, reiterated during the meeting that the union’s demands — including sustainable funding, improved conditions of service, revitalisation of public universities, and academic autonomy — remain unchanged.
He stressed that the two-week warning strike, which began on October 13, resulted from unresolved issues dating back to 2011.
“We engaged the Nigerian government for eight years without tangible results. The Yayale Ahmed Committee report, submitted in December 2024, was ignored until this strike began,” Piwuna said.
He criticised the government for delaying the release of ₦150 billion approved by the National Assembly for universities, revealing that only ₦50 billion had been disbursed and was still held at the Ministry of Education.
Piwuna cautioned that the ₦150 billion allocation, meant solely for universities, must not be diverted to other tertiary institutions.
ASUU also accused Minister Wike of attempting to seize part of the 10,000 hectares of land belonging to the University of Abuja.
“If the minister needs land, he should look elsewhere. The university’s land must remain untouched,” the union warned, urging the Senate to intervene.
The Nigerian government, however, insisted that it had addressed all of ASUU’s demands and maintained that it remained open to dialogue. It also reaffirmed its “no work, no pay” stance on the striking lecturers.
