The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun a crucial meeting with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), among others, to address the ongoing strike in universities and other pressing issues affecting workers in tertiary institutions nationwide.
The meeting, taking place at the NLC national headquarters in Abuja, follows an invitation by the labour body to union leaders across the country’s higher institutions to discuss solutions to the crisis arising from failed negotiations with the Federal Government.
Nigeria’s higher education system has been plagued by persistent disruptions, with the latest shutdown caused by the ongoing ASUU strike. ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the strike on Sunday at the University of Abuja after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28. The union cited unresolved matters on staff welfare, unpaid salaries, poor infrastructure, and the non-implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
Despite recent government assurances and the release of ₦50 billion for earned allowances, as well as ₦150 billion allocated in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment, ASUU dismissed the measures as inadequate.
ASUU’s demands include full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of withheld salaries and arrears, improved university funding, non-victimisation of members, and release of cooperative and union deductions.
The NLC reaffirmed its solidarity with the unions, insisting that the government must respect collective agreements and uphold workers’ rights. The ongoing meeting aims to determine the next steps in the industrial action and devise strategies to protect the welfare of academic staff and ensure stability in Nigeria’s public tertiary education sector.
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