FG inaugurates expanded negotiation committee to fast-track talks with ASUU, others

Barely a day after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) reaffirmed its plan to commence a nationwide strike next week, the Federal Government has reconstituted the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee to accelerate dialogue with academic and non-academic unions in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, who confirmed that the committee will hold its inaugural meeting at 2 p.m. today, October 7.

According to the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, the new body was designed to consolidate all previous fragmented negotiations into a single, inclusive platform that ensures continuity, institutional memory, and sector-wide participation.

“The membership of the committee has been carefully chosen to represent the full spectrum of the education sector, ensuring that no group is left behind,” Alausa said.

The minister explained that unlike past ad-hoc committees, the expanded panel will engage all unions collectively, with a mandate to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable agreement.

He added that the committee has been equipped with a functional secretariat to support its work and called on all academic and non-academic unions to cooperate fully with the process.

The inauguration was also attended by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmed.