The Federal Government on Monday urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities to suspend its ongoing strike, saying it has met “every single request” made by the union and given it a formal counter-proposal. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa said the government has engaged ASUU repeatedly since he took office and that there is no justification for the industrial action.
“We have addressed every single request by ASUU; there is no need for this strike, and we are pleading with them to go back to school,” he said. ASUU on Sunday declared a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike across all public universities in Nigeria over the FG’s failure to meet its demands. The announcement was made by the National President of the Union, Prof. Chris Piwuna, at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday at the University of Abuja.
“Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on the ground to stop the implementation of the ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on the 28th September 2025.
“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, the 13th October, 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting,” Piwuna said. But the minister said claims that the government has been slow or unwilling to respond to the union’s demands were incorrect. “I can tell you today, literally all the demands of ASUU have been met. So I do not see any reason why ASUU has gone on this strike.
“We had feelings that, despite us negotiating with them in good faith, truthfully, they were determined to go on this strike. Even from Friday, I’ve been getting text messages that ASUU has decided to go on strike. And when you do that, when you predetermine your action, despite every goodwill, all gestures of the government to you, what do you really want?“We’ve literally addressed every single issue that ASUU is requesting. The areas of their end academic allowance, we’ve paid 50 billion.”
