Strike: NLC meets ASUU, SSANU, others

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday began a crucial meeting with leaders of key tertiary education unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), over the ongoing nationwide strike crippling universities and other higher institutions.

The closed-door meeting, holding at the NLC national headquarters in Abuja, aims to find a lasting solution to the protracted industrial dispute and address long-standing grievances against the Federal Government.

The NLC had earlier written to invite all union leaders in tertiary institutions for the emergency session, following the collapse of recent negotiations between the unions and the government.

Nigeria’s higher education sector has been grounded in recent weeks, with universities shutting down after ASUU declared an indefinite strike on Sunday.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the strike at a briefing in Abuja after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28. He blamed the action on the government’s failure to resolve key issues bordering on staff welfare, unpaid salary arrears, infrastructural decay, and non-implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement.

Although the Minister of Education, Prof. Tunji Alausa, recently claimed that the government had released N50 bn for earned allowances and budgeted N150 bn for needs assessment projects in 2025, ASUU described the measures as “tokenistic” and “far from the comprehensive reform the sector requires.”

The union is demanding the full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of withheld salaries, outstanding promotion arrears, release of cooperative deductions, and an end to the victimisation of members.

The NLC, in its solidarity message, reaffirmed support for all education unions and criticised the government’s alleged disregard for collective bargaining.

The Congress said Monday’s meeting would determine the next line of action, including possible mass mobilisation if the government fails to address the crisis.