The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve their ongoing dispute and prevent a prolonged strike action that could disrupt the nation’s academic calendar.
NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, stated this in a press statement yesterday.
The students’ body expressed concern over the growing tension between the government and ASUU, warning that any disruption to the academic calendar would be unacceptable to Nigerian students.
Oladoja noted that the education sector had enjoyed two uninterrupted academic years under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Administration, a feat not recorded since the return to democracy in 1999.
He, however, said the recent industrial action by ASUU was jeopardising this progress.
“It is, therefore, in this spirit that NANS appeals to both ASUU and the Federal Government’s negotiation team to find a workable and lasting solution within the next seven days.
“Nigerian students, many of whom are now studying through educational loans, cannot afford to have their academic calendar disrupted or their duration on campus extended again,” Oladoja said.
The NANS president further commended President Tinubu’s education reforms, listing initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, removal of tertiary staff unions from IPPIS, reversal of the 40% IGR remittance policy, and special TETFund interventions as examples of the administration’s commitment to education and student welfare.
Despite these gains, Oladoja lamented that poor communication and delays in implementing agreements with ASUU had created unnecessary tension.
“However, the recent threat of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has become a concern to Nigerian students nationwide. It is regrettable that despite the huge progress recorded, this strike, a result of miscommunication and poor crisis management with the timely implementation of the resolutions earlier reached with ASUU, is thereby creating avoidable tension that now threatens the peace and progress of the education sector,” he said.
Oladoja revealed that NANS’ independent findings showed that the union did not attend a meeting earlier convened by the federal government to address ASUU’s grievances due to procedural disagreements.
“We have secured assurances from both parties that they are ready to attend the meeting once it is properly reconvened. NANS, therefore, calls on the government to immediately reconvene the meeting to close this communication gap,” he stated.
He further appealed to Tinubu to personally intervene, warning that failure to act swiftly could erode the goodwill and stability achieved in the education sector.
