The Nigerian Federal Government has stated that it has fulfilled all the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), calling on the union to suspend its ongoing strike. According to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, the government has engaged ASUU in repeated discussions since he took office and sees no justification for the industrial action.
In an interview on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” program, Alausa emphasized that the government has addressed every single request made by ASUU, urging the union to return to work. This development comes after ASUU declared a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike across all public universities in Nigeria. The strike, which began on October 13, 2025, was called due to the Federal Government’s alleged failure to meet the union’s demands.
National President of ASUU, Prof Chris Piwuna, announced the strike at a press briefing in Abuja, stating that there was insufficient grounds to stop the implementation of the warning strike. Piwuna directed all branches of ASUU to withdraw their services, effective from midnight on October 13, 2025. The warning strike is intended to last for two weeks, as agreed upon at the last NEC meeting.
However, Minister Alausa disputes claims that the government has been slow or unwilling to respond to the union’s demands, asserting that these allegations are incorrect. The government’s stance on the matter is that it has met all the requirements outlined by ASUU, and therefore, there is no reason for the strike to continue.
The strike action is likely to affect academic activities in public universities across Nigeria, impacting students and the academic community. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether the union will heed the government’s call to suspend the strike or continue with the industrial action. The Federal Government’s claim of meeting ASUU’s demands has raised questions about the next steps in the dispute, and it is uncertain how the situation will be resolved.
