The Nigerian Senate has stepped in to mediate the ongoing standoff between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government, aiming to end the prolonged industrial dispute that has kept thousands of students out of classrooms.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Muktari Dandutse, disclosed this on Friday after a high-level meeting with ASUU leaders at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Dandutse said the upper chamber’s intervention seeks to establish a sustainable middle ground that ensures both the reopening of universities and a fair resolution of lecturers’ grievances.
“Returning to school does not mean the issues are closed; it creates a conducive environment for continued dialogue,” he said, stressing that the Senate’s priority is to safeguard academic stability while addressing legitimate concerns of the teaching workforce.
He outlined the Senate’s next steps, which include facilitating negotiations among ASUU, the Ministry of Education, and the National Universities Commission (NUC), as well as engaging the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over the University of Abuja land dispute.
According to him, the Senate is consolidating all outstanding issues for comprehensive discussions with the Federal Government early next week.
“Our goal is to push for immediate relief and long-term reforms that will prevent recurring strikes,” Dandutse added.
Senator Karimi Sunday commended the progress made so far but acknowledged that several welfare-related matters remained unresolved.
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