ASUU Urges FG To Implement Stalled Agreement

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) chapter, has renewed calls for the Federal Government to honour its long-standing agreement with the union, warning that continued inaction threatens the stability and quality of higher education in Nigeria.

Speaking at a townhall meeting organized by the branch in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, the ASUU-UDUS Chairperson, Prof. Muhammad Nurudeen Almustapha, lamented the government’s repeated failure to implement agreements reached through various committees, despite several rounds of negotiations and consultations.

Prof. Almustapha said the meeting, held at the Congregational Hall of the university’s City Campus, brought together stakeholders from academia, student unions, civil society organizations, traditional institutions, the media, and market associations to deliberate on the lingering impasse between ASUU and the Federal Government.

“This gathering is a convergence of minds and voices from diverse sectors of society, it underscores the importance of the issue at hand: the ongoing impasse between the Federal Government and ASUU, and the broader challenges confronting academics and the Nigerian university system”

He noted that ASUU has become unfairly associated with strikes and university closures due to the government’s habitual neglect of its commitments.

“Often, once temporary resolutions are reached, there is little follow-up to ensure that government commitments are honoured, until another crisis emerges,” he said.

Tracing the trajectory of the current dispute, Almustapha recalled that following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inauguration in May 2023, his administration inherited a fully negotiated agreement led by the Nimi Briggs Committee.

Despite over a year of engagements, protests, and consultations, the government instead set up a new panel chaired by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, which concluded its work in December 2024.

“The committee submitted its report to the government in January 2025, yet no tangible action has followed, only broken promises and unfulfilled commitments”

He disclosed that under renewed pressure from the union, the government recently reconstituted and expanded the Yayale Ahmed Committee to reopen negotiations, a move he described as “a recycling of old promises without genuine intent.”

He reaffirmed that ASUU would continue to engage constructively through lawful and peaceful means, including conferences, stakeholder consultations, and public advocacy, to protect the welfare of its members and defend the integrity of the Nigerian university system.

The chairperson expressed gratitude to guests, including members of sister unions, students, parents, civil society organizations, journalists, and traditional rulers, for their solidarity and commitment to the future of education.

“Let us make the most of this opportunity. May our deliberations be fruitful, impactful, and pave the way for meaningful change,” he said.