The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting of the Technical Working Group on Conditions of Service of ASUU, where he expressed optimism that the outstanding issues would soon be resolved to prevent future disruptions in Nigeria’s academic calendar.
According to Alausa, the government is in the process of finalising a counteroffer that will be presented to the unions through the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiations Committee.
“The President has made it clear that our children must remain in school,” Alausa said. “The technical working group is finalising a component of the condition of service to be proposed. Hopefully, by the end of today or tomorrow, the negotiation committee will receive that counteroffer to ASUU.”
The minister noted that about 80 per cent of the unions’ demands are similar across tertiary institutions, with the remaining 20 per cent reflecting sector-specific issues. He said the committee, inaugurated earlier in the week, had commenced intensive deliberations aimed at fast-tracking agreement and implementation timelines.
Alausa highlighted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has already made significant progress in addressing key concerns, including the payment of ₦50 billion in Earned Academic Allowances and the inclusion of ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for needs assessment projects. The funds, he said, would be released in three tranches, with the first ₦50 billion already ready for disbursement.
“They deserve to be paid well, both our academic and non-academic staff,” Alausa stated. “We can’t give everything at once, but this government has shown goodwill and commitment to improving welfare.”
He also revealed that promotion arrears and other outstanding allowances, including teaching and wage awards, have largely been cleared, with the remaining arrears to be settled by 2026.
Reiterating the government’s call for patience and collaboration, the minister appealed to the unions to avoid strike actions as the first line of response.
“We have resolved a lot of these issues. The final part is the condition of service, and we will resolve that as well,” he assured. “This government is sincere and truthful. We have shown you this over the last 24 months since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.”
In a notable development, Alausa confirmed that, for the first time, the Solicitor General of the Federation and senior officials of the Ministry of Justice are directly participating in the negotiation process. This inclusion, he said, is intended to ensure that all agreements reached are legally sound, enforceable, and sustainable.
The renewed talks reflect the government’s push to stabilise Nigeria’s higher education system after years of periodic strikes that have disrupted academic activities and strained relations between the government and university unions.