The Federal Government has proposed a 40 per cent salary increase for lecturers under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), according to sources familiar with the discussions in Abuja.
The offer comes as ASUU leadership prepares to resume negotiations with the government delegation led by Yayale Ahmed. The decision to return to the negotiation table followed a resolution reached at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Sunday.
Branch chairmen who attended the meeting are expected to brief their members nationwide on the latest development.
A member of the NEC, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions placed on media engagement during negotiations, confirmed that discussions would continue next week.
“They made a proposal of a 40% salary increment. Branch leaders will go back and update members on the situation. As it stands, negotiations continue with the government next week,” the source said.
ASUU’s one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government expired last Saturday, raising fears of a potential nationwide strike across public universities.
In a last-minute effort to prevent the industrial action, the government summoned ASUU leadership to a meeting in Abuja on Monday, which extended into Tuesday. Both sides kept details of the discussions confidential, citing strict negotiation protocols.
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The union had earlier threatened a full-scale strike, accusing the Federal Government of adopting a “nonchalant” attitude toward its demands. These include the renegotiation of the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, payment of outstanding salaries and earned allowances, and the release of the university revitalisation fund.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa—who is currently out of the country—insisted that the government had met virtually all of ASUU’s demands. Speaking to State House correspondents two weeks ago, Alausa reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s directive that there must be no strike in public universities.
“The President has mandated us that he doesn’t want ASUU to go on strike, and we’re doing everything humanly possible to ensure that our students stay in school,” he said. “We’ve met literally all their requirements and are back at the negotiation table. We will resolve this.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared support for ASUU, warning that it will back the union should the government fail to meet its commitments.