President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Minister of Education, Mr. Olatunji Alausa, to urgently address the ongoing dispute with the Academic Staff Union of Universities. Tinubu made it clear he wants campuses to keep running without another shutdown.
After a meeting at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, the 4th of November, 2025, Alausa briefed journalists.
He explained that the administration had already attended to “literally all” the union’s key issues and was now seeking further approval from Tinubu to close the remaining gaps.
According to him, “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.
The last strike they went on for about six days was not really needed.
“We’ve met literally all their requirements. Now we’ve gone back to the negotiation table. Part of my visit here today is to also explain where we are with the ASUU strike to Mr. President and to extract more concessions from him,” the minister said.
He repeated that the recent six-day warning action was avoidable. Alausa said he met the President to present updates and secure more support for the sector.
“The last strike they went on for about six days was not really needed. We’re talking to them…Now we’ve gone back to the negotiation table. We’re talking as he spoke to the leadership this morning. We will resolve this.
“And part of my visit today here is to also explain where we are with the ASUU strike to Mr. President and to extract more concessions from Mr. President,” he stated.
ASUU has blamed the government for unpaid salaries, poor funding, and delays in concluding the renegotiated 2009 FG-ASUU agreement. The union also continues to push for the University Transparency and Accountability Solution to replace IPPIS, while raising concerns about worn-out facilities on campuses nationwide.
Strikes have paused sessions, pushed back graduations and weakened the global standing of Nigerian universities.
In October, the union began a two-week warning strike, saying the government was yet to conclude the renegotiated agreement, address revitalisation funds and clear arrears.
Alausa said the government had changed the negotiation structure by setting up one main committee headed by Yayale Ahmed. The body is engaging ASUU, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, and the Colleges of Education Staff Union, instead of the earlier system where each union had a separate committee.
“What we’ve done now is to expand one single committee. They’re dealing with both academic and non-academic unions…There is no ultimatum. Everything is calm, and they understand this is a listening government,” said Alausa.
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He also spoke about a new Federal Tertiary Institution Governance and Transparency Portal that shows figures on enrolment, budgets, intervention funds, endowments and grants. For now, it covers federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, with plans to include state and private schools.
“We are running an evidence-based government…If you don’t have data, it’s like you’re flying blind,” he added.
Asked about the supposed four-week notice issued by the joint tertiary unions and the Nigeria Labour Congress on October 20, 2025, he dismissed it.
He said, “And with all due respect, there is no ultimatum. I still spoke to the President of ASUP on Monday.
“I’m on first line call to them. Everything is calm, and they all understand this is a listening government.
“We would resolve all their problems, resolve a significant part of their problems.”