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FG claims ₦50bn arrears paid, ₦150bn allocated for needs assessment
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Government urges lecturers to resume work immediately
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ASUU begins two-week nationwide warning strike despite assurances
The Federal Government has declared that it has met all the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), insisting that the ongoing strike action by university lecturers is unnecessary.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he appealed to ASUU to end the industrial action and return to classrooms.
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“We have addressed every single request by ASUU; there is no need for this strike, and we are pleading with them to go back to school. We need to keep our children in school,” Alausa said.
The Minister dismissed claims that the Federal Government had neglected the union’s concerns, outlining several interventions already implemented to meet their demands.
According to him, the government has released ₦50 billion for the payment of earned academic allowances and has now mainstreamed the arrears into lecturers’ salaries to prevent future delays.
“The arrears of their earned academic allowance, we’ve paid ₦50 billion. The President swiftly approved that payment months ago. The earned academic arrears have now been mainstreamed as part of their salaries. There will never be arrears again,” he stated.
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Alausa further explained that postgraduate supervision allowances have been addressed, while issues surrounding the needs assessment fund have also been resolved.
“The President approved ₦150 billion of the needs assessment money in the 2026 budget. ₦50 billion has already been released and is sitting in the needs assessment account. ASUU is holding those disbursements,” he revealed.
He added that promotion arrears would be included in the 2026 appropriation budget, noting that President Bola Tinubu remains committed to fostering a fair and stable relationship with labour unions in the education sector.
The Minister emphasised that the government’s actions demonstrate good faith and accountability, urging the union to reconsider its position for the sake of students and national stability.
Meanwhile, ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike on Sunday night after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28, 2025.
The union cited unresolved issues including the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, withheld salaries, and revitalisation of public universities as reasons for the industrial action.
