The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun a crucial meeting with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in the tertiary education sector to address the ongoing strike and other pressing issues affecting workers across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.
The meeting, which is currently underway at the NLC National Headquarters in Abuja, brings together representatives from the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), among others.
The NLC had earlier issued an invitation to all union leaders in tertiary institutions for a joint dialogue aimed at finding lasting solutions to the persistent crises stemming from failed negotiations with the Federal Government.
Nigeria’s higher education system has long been plagued by instability, with the latest disruption leading to the closure of universities nationwide following ASUU’s declaration of an indefinite strike.
ASUU’s National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the industrial action on Sunday during a press briefing at the University of Abuja, after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government on September 28.
The union cited unresolved issues including staff welfare, salary arrears, infrastructure decay, and the non-implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
Despite recent negotiations, efforts to avert the strike proved unsuccessful. The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had earlier disclosed that talks were in their final phase, noting that the government had released ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances and allocated ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for university needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches. However, ASUU rejected these measures as inadequate.
The union is demanding:
Full implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement,
Release of three and a half months of withheld salaries,
Sustainable funding for public universities,
Protection of members from victimisation,
Payment of outstanding promotions and arrears, and
Release of withheld cooperative and union deductions.
In a statement, the NLC reaffirmed its solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, urging active participation from all leaders.
It criticised the government’s continued disregard for collective bargaining and called for adherence to labour principles, including respect for the “No Pay, No Work” and “No Work, No Pay” standards.
The emergency meeting is expected to determine the next steps in the industrial action, outline strategies to protect workers’ welfare, and safeguard the quality and continuity of public tertiary education across Nigeria.
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