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President Bola Tinubu has expressed delight at the absence of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), describing it as an answer to the nation’s prayers and a major relief for Nigerian families.
Speaking on Tuesday while receiving the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the State House in Abuja, the president said students were now able to complete their university programmes within the expected duration.
Tinubu said the absence of prolonged ASUU strikes since his administration took office was one of the tangible improvements recorded under his government.
“None of your children in university today, and I would say they are all your children because you are reverend fathers, can say a four-year course is not four years,” he said.
“ASUU is not on strike. They are not bringing agony to your homes. Is that not an answer to our prayers? To me, that’s an answer.”
The president acknowledged that Nigerians had endured economic hardship since he assumed office, attributing the challenges to the assets and liabilities inherited from the previous administration.
He, however, maintained that the economy had stabilised and that signs of prosperity were beginning to surface, with living conditions gradually improving.
“I inherited the assets and liabilities of my predecessor, and I’ve been running with it. But this government has stabilised and there is prosperity on the horizon. The quality of life is improving,” he said.
On security, Tinubu said his administration remained committed to addressing the country’s challenges, expressing confidence that Nigeria would overcome its current difficulties.
He urged citizens to remain united, saying the country’s diversity should be a source of strength and reaffirming his belief that Nigeria would continue to thrive despite its challenges.
“The security situation is what it is. We don’t have another country but here. This Nigeria. And we revert to our national anthem, in its complexity, diversity, we shall thrive, rejoice and be good to all of us,” he said.
His comments come after years of industrial disputes in the education sector, particularly recurring ASUU strikes that repeatedly disrupted academic activities in public universities.
Between 1999 and 2022, ASUU embarked on several strikes that collectively resulted in more than five years of lost academic time. The union’s most recent action, an eight-month strike in 2022, remains the longest in its history.
