FG vows to prevent fresh ASUU strikes

The Federal Government has assured that public universities will no longer be allowed to shut down over labour disputes, pledging to do “everything humanly possible” to avert further strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, gave the assurance while briefing State House correspondents on Tuesday, noting that President Bola Tinubu has issued a clear directive to keep students in school and sustain reforms in the tertiary education sector.

“The President has mandated us that he doesn’t want ASUU to go on strike. We are doing everything possible to ensure our students stay in school,” Alausa said.

He described the recent six-day warning strike by the union as avoidable, insisting that government has met “almost all” of ASUU’s demands and has resumed negotiations to resolve the remaining issues.

Alausa added that the administration is committed to transparency and accountability in university funding, stressing that tertiary institutions rely heavily on federal support.

“If you don’t have data, you are flying blind. Our reforms are anchored on evidence-based governance,” he stated, noting that universities draw “almost 100%” of their funding from the Federal Government, making oversight crucial.

The minister said discussions with ASUU will continue, with the aim of securing long-term industrial stability in public universities.