‘We Met All Their Demands, Strike Needless’, Education Minister Faults ASUU

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has faulted the decision of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on a two-week indefinite strike action, describing the action as unnecessary and unjustifiable given the federal government’s extensive efforts to meet virtually all of the union’s demands.

Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast show, ‘The Morning Brief’ on Monday, Alausa expressed disappointment that ASUU proceeded with the industrial action despite what he called the government’s “proactive engagement and goodwill.”

“In the last two years, there has not been an ASUU strike. This is not a coincidence but the result of proactive engagement by the government,” the minister said. “Over the last 24 hours, myself and the vice chairman of the federal government–tertiary negotiations committee have been working and talking to ASUU. I can tell you today, literally, all the demands of ASUU have been met, so I do not see any reason why ASUU embarked on the strike.”

Alausa revealed that even before ASUU’s announcement, there were indications that the union had already resolved to go on strike regardless of ongoing negotiations.

“We had fillers that despite us negotiating with them in good faith, they were determined to embark on the strike. Even on Friday, I was getting text messages that ASUU had decided to go on strike,” he said. “When you predefine your action despite every goodwill and gesture from the government, what do you really want?”

The minister went on to list several commitments already fulfilled by the Tinubu administration.

“We’ve literally addressed every single issue that ASUU is requesting,” Alausa said. “On earned academic allowances, we’ve paid ₦50 billion — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu swiftly approved that payment months ago. The earned academic allowance has now been mainstreamed as part of their salaries, so there will never be arrears again.”

He further disclosed that ₦150 billion was approved for the long-outstanding Needs Assessment Fund, with ₦50 billion already released.

“The president promised to release it in tranches of ₦50 billion. The first one has been released and is sitting in the Needs Assessment account. It is ASUU that is holding that disbursement from being released,” he claimed.

Alausa also addressed other financial and welfare issues, including promotion arrears, postgraduate supervision allowances, and salary adjustments, noting that all had been factored into the 2026 budget.

“We told them the promotion arrears will be paid in the 2026 budget. The issues causing those arrears have been resolved. The 25% and 35% wage awards will also be paid in 2026, all public servants have not been paid ,” he said.

The minister explained that a high-level technical committee co-chaired by himself, the Minister of Labour, and the Minister of State for Education had met with ASUU leadership to finalise reviews of their conditions of service and welfare demands.

“We went line by line on all their requests, finalised those reviews, and presented the government’s counter-responses to them this past Friday,” Alausa noted. “We also got presidential approval to create a new welfare line called Teachers’ Welfare, which will cater to university, polytechnic, and college of education staff.”

Despite these efforts, the minister lamented that ASUU failed to respond as promised.

“We gave them everything they requested and they promised to get back to us in 24 hours. We waited until Saturday afternoon, no response. On Sunday evening, the ASUU president texted that he would call, and shortly after, he released a statement announcing the strike,” Alausa said. “When the vice chairman urged him to reconsider and meet again, the ASUU president replied that their leadership had to return home to their families.”

Alausa appealed to the union to reconsider its decision, assuring Nigerian students and parents that the federal government remains committed to ensuring academic stability.

“This strike should not have gone on,” he said. “Let me reassure our students that the federal government under President Tinubu will do everything humanly possible to keep you in school. I also want to reassure parents that this government is doing everything possible to ensure their wards remain in school. I am pleading with ASUU to shelve this strike.”