The Federal Government is expected to hold a high-stakes meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Abuja this week in a renewed effort to resolve the protracted dispute surrounding the 2009 FGN–ASUU agreement.
At the session, government negotiators are expected to present a counteroffer aimed at turning more than a decade of stalled dialogue into actionable commitments.
Sources confirmed that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, will lead the federal team, alongside the Minister of Labour, representatives of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), and the Solicitor-General. The talks are expected to yield a clear timeline for the signing and phased implementation of the renegotiated agreement.
The move comes amid rising discontent within ASUU chapters nationwide, with leaders warning that continued delays could trigger another nationwide shutdown of public universities.
ASUU had concluded its latest round of renegotiations in December 2024 and formally submitted its report to the Federal Government in February 2025. Union officials insist that the government must now act.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Zonal Coordinator of ASUU (Abuja Zone), Prof. Al-Amin Abdullahi, stressed that the union had fulfilled its obligations.
“The union has kept its part of the bargain and expects the government to demonstrate seriousness by adopting the report without delay,” he said.
The 2009 agreement—signed during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua—remains central to ASUU’s demands, promising revitalisation funding, institutional autonomy, improved welfare for academic staff, and a monitoring framework for implementation.
Dr. Alausa’s personal involvement in the process has been described by stakeholders as a welcome signal of renewed government commitment to bridging the gap between promises and delivery.
Meanwhile, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, has reiterated the union’s frustration with government’s slow response. Appearing on Channels Television’s *The Morning Brief*, he said:
“We’ve been on this for such a long time, and we have, in our view, always demonstrated patience, understanding, and adopted dialogue to try to address these issues.”
He added: “Since democracy started in 1999, people are quick to say that ASUU has been on strike and schools have been closed, and you wonder what the government thinks about these actions.”
Piwuna stressed that despite engaging with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the pace of government’s response has been “extremely slow.”
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