Breaking: NLC Meets ASUU, Other Unions Over Prolonged Tertiary Institutions Strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday commenced an emergency meeting with leaders of key tertiary education unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), among others, in Abuja.

The meeting, holding at the NLC’s national headquarters, aims to find lasting solutions to the ongoing industrial action that has crippled academic activities across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.

According to reports, the NLC had earlier invited all union leaders in the tertiary sector to a joint dialogue following a breakdown in negotiations between the unions and the Federal Government.

The crisis deepened after ASUU declared an indefinite strike on Sunday, citing the government’s failure to implement the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, non-payment of three and a half months’ withheld salaries, and unresolved issues around earned allowances and university funding.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the strike at the University of Abuja after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government on September 28.

Although the Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, recently disclosed that ₦50 billion had been released for earned academic allowances and ₦150 billion budgeted for institutional needs assessments, the unions dismissed these measures as inadequate.

The NLC, in solidarity with ASUU and other unions, emphasised that workers’ rights must be respected and urged the government to honour existing agreements to avert further disruptions to the academic calendar.

The ongoing meeting is expected to determine the next line of action, including possible nationwide solidarity strikes, as stakeholders seek to safeguard staff welfare and stabilise Nigeria’s higher education system.