In March 2020, the Academic Staff Union of Universities embarked on a strike that lasted for eight months. The strike ended in December 2020 after signing a memorandum of action with the government.

In December 2021 the federal government said it paid ASUU 30 billion Revitalization Fund and N22.5 billion Earned Academic Allowance to lecturers.

The Accountant General Office and the Funds office of the federal minister of finance said they had paid the money to 38 federal universities and all the affected universities had gotten their money. The minister of labor and Employment, Chris Ngige.

However, the president of ASUU has denied that the FG did not implement the agreements that were reached with the union.

This and some other issues are the reasons why the ASUU has decided to go for a one-month warning strike.

Things to Know About the ASUU and Nigerian Government Disagreement 

• There is no capital project for universities from the government. Except the ones sponsored by TETFund. ASUU says it is not fitting for a country with a government.
• ASUU wants to renovate hostels, classrooms, laboratories, and good offices for lectures but they can’t because they are still owned by the government.
• The government is yet to resolve the payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA)
• There is no governing council. ASUU is requesting that the government should set up visitation panels that can monitor how money is being spent and schools are being managed.
• ASUU is also demanding that the government enroll university teachers in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System(IPPIS) to cover their insecurity 
• ASUU still maintains that the government is owing to their billions of naira, which would have been used to pay the salary arrears of members. (www.bbc.com) 

READ ALSO LIST OF STATES SCHOOLS CURRENTLY RECRUITING TEACHERS

Federal Government, Academic Staff Union of Universities Talks to Halt Strike.

ASUU might soon end the ongoing strike as its leadership met with the labor minister, Chris Ngige earlier. Subsequently, the details of the meeting were taken to ASUU hoping that the recent government proposal might lead to an agreement between the concerned stakeholders and the union.

This is the result of the long-hour meeting held between the leadership of the union and the Nigerian government. However, the minister for labor and finance, Chris Ngige, said both parties agreed on a lot of things and ASUU was expected to talk to its members and show them the proposal by the government so that they can call off the one month proposed warning strike. (www.legitnews.com) 

ASUU Smacks Against Federal Government Team to Renegotiate the 2009 Consensus. 

In 2009, the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the federal government reached an agreement after two years of negotiations.

The agreement includes requirements of service for university lecturers, funding of universities, academic freedom and university autonomy, issues requiring legislation implementation.

The treaty was inclusive of a detailed breakdown of the structure of lecturers’ salaries, pension, staff loans, moderation of examinations, and overtime. The agreement also dwelt on the funding of universities and both parties agreed that federal universities should get 1.5 trillion between 2009 and 2011 and state universities were at the same time to receive #3.6 million per student.

The negotiations also reached that at least 26 percent of the Nigerian yearly budget be allocated to education and half of the allocation to universities and finally that the 2004 Jamb be amended. (www.premiumtimes.com) 

ASUU has kicked against the idea of renegotiating the agreement saying that the federal government has not fulfilled its part of the negotiation, rather it has waited for the tenure of those who had formerly agreed with them to renegotiate.

 Conclusion

The future of students in Nigeria is yet to be decided. But it is certain that if the federal government and ASUU do not agree soon, the future of academics in this country would not be certain.