Nigeria’s long-running effort to stabilise its public university system is set to reach a major milestone as the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) prepare to formally unveil a new agreement on Wednesday, January 14.
The development was confirmed in an official statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education. According to the ministry, the agreement is the product of sustained negotiations aimed at addressing persistent industrial disputes and strengthening the overall quality of tertiary education in the country.
The signing and formal presentation of the agreement comes after years of consultations between government representatives and ASUU leadership, as both sides sought to resolve lingering disagreements that have repeatedly disrupted academic activities across federal and state-owned universities.
Agreement Signing to Hold in Abuja
The Ministry of Education disclosed that the unveiling ceremony will take place at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Conference Hall in Maitama, Abuja. The event will be jointly presided over by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad.
According to the ministry, the agreement underscores the Federal Government’s renewed emphasis on dialogue-driven engagement with critical stakeholders in the education sector. Officials noted that the administration remains committed to resolving industrial disputes through consultation, compromise, and sustained cooperation rather than protracted confrontations.
The ministry added that the pact is expected to promote industrial harmony, improve the learning and teaching environment within universities, and restore confidence among students, academic staff, parents, and the broader Nigerian public.
Alignment With Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
Education ministry officials explained that the agreement is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places education at the centre of Nigeria’s national development strategy. The administration has repeatedly described higher education as a critical driver of human capital development, economic competitiveness, and long-term socio-economic transformation.
The unveiling ceremony is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including senior government officials, ASUU leaders, heads of tertiary institutions, representatives of development partners, and members of the media.
Background to the FG–ASUU Dispute
The relationship between the Federal Government and ASUU has been marked by decades of tension, largely driven by disagreements over university funding, staff welfare, infrastructure decay, and the implementation of previously negotiated agreements.
Central to many of these disputes is a landmark agreement signed in 2009, aspects of which ASUU maintains have remained unresolved. Over the years, the union has embarked on multiple nationwide strikes to press home its demands, often bringing academic activities to a standstill.
These industrial actions have frequently disrupted academic calendars, extended students’ time in school, delayed graduations, and increased the number of Nigerian students seeking alternatives in private institutions or universities abroad.
The most recent major industrial action occurred in October 2025, when ASUU declared a two-week nationwide strike after issuing a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government. The action marked the union’s 18th strike in 26 years and was triggered by what ASUU described as the government’s failure to address long-standing issues affecting public universities.
That strike was eventually suspended following overnight negotiations between both parties, setting the stage for the new agreement now scheduled for formal unveiling.
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