By Mahdi Waziri Isa
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has pledged that the federal government will prevent any further strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), vowing to do “everything humanly possible” to keep public universities open.
He made the declaration on Tuesday, stating that President Bola Tinubu has given a direct mandate to avoid academic disruptions and pursue transparent reforms.
“The President has mandated us that he doesn’t want ASUU to go on strike. We are doing everything possible to ensure our students stay in school,” Alausa told State House correspondents.
Addressing a recent brief strike, the Minister said, “The last strike of about six days was not necessary. We have met almost all their demands, and we are back at the negotiation table.”
To ensure accountability, the government launched a public dashboard requiring all federal tertiary institutions to report key data, including student enrollment and financial allocations. Alausa emphasized the initiative, stating, “If you don’t have data, you are flying blind.”
The government has also consolidated its negotiations with academic unions under a single committee to prevent fragmented talks. According to Alausa, this has calmed tensions.
“The same committee is talking to ASUU, ASUP and COEASU… There is no ultimatum from any union,” he said, adding that the government is listening and will resolve their concerns.