The House of Representatives has resolved to intervene in the ongoing dispute between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a bid to end the two-week warning strike declared by the union on Monday.
The decision followed a motion moved on Tuesday by Sesi Whinga, a lawmaker representing Badagry Federal Constituency under the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to Channels TV.
Whinga said the move by the green chamber’s leadership aims to find a permanent resolution to the recurring industrial disputes that have crippled Nigeria’s public university system for years.
ASUU had on Monday commenced a two-week nationwide warning strike following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government to address its long-standing demands — marking the union’s first nationwide strike in nearly three years.
Among the lecturers’ key demands are the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, payment of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, revitalisation of public universities, and sustainable funding for tertiary education.
Other grievances include the payment of 25–35% salary arrears, promotion arrears spanning over four years, and the release of withheld cooperative deductions.
Efforts to renegotiate the 2009 agreement have remained stalled since 2017, despite several committees set up by past administrations. The latest committee, led by Yayale Ahmed, submitted its report in December 2024, but implementation is yet to commence.
In reaction to the strike, Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, reportedly directed university vice-chancellors to enforce the government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against lecturers participating in the industrial action.
The ongoing strike has already disrupted examinations in several universities nationwide, prompting fresh calls for immediate government intervention.
Lawmakers say the House leadership will engage both parties in the coming days to prevent a total shutdown of the nation’s tertiary education system.
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