The Nigerian Senate has announced plans to intervene in the ongoing industrial dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.
The Senate’s move comes after ASUU declared a two-week warning strike over the government’s failure to meet its demands, including improved funding for public universities, better conditions of service, and revitalization of university infrastructure.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Aliyu Dandutse, disclosed that the Senate would initiate a negotiation process involving key stakeholders, including ASUU, the Ministry of Education, and the National Universities Commission (NUC), to find a permanent resolution to the crisis.
The Senate also plans to engage with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over ASUU’s concerns about the alleged attempt to tamper with the University of Abuja’s land.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, had urged the Senate to push the government to increase funding for universities, warning that sustainable investment in education is the only way to end strikes and improve the global ranking of Nigerian universities.
Piwuna also revealed that only ₦50 billion out of the ₦150 billion approved for universities had been released, and that amount was still stuck at the Ministry of Education.
