By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal Government has commenced the final phase of negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education unions to resolve outstanding issues and prevent further strikes.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced this in Abuja during a meeting of the Technical Working Group on Conditions of Service. He said the group was finalising a counteroffer that would be submitted to the unions through the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiations Committee.
Alausa noted that the negotiations align with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to keep students in school and avoid disruptions to the academic calendar. He highlighted progress made so far, including the payment of ₦50 billion in Earned Academic Allowances and the allocation of ₦150 billion for needs assessment in the 2025 budget.
He assured that promotion arrears and other allowances were being cleared and appealed to unions to exercise patience, reaffirming the government’s commitment to reaching sustainable agreements.
