The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has started an emergency meeting with leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education sector unions to address the ongoing nationwide strike. The meeting aims to find lasting solutions to the crisis in Nigeria’s higher education system, which has been plagued by prolonged instability and repeated industrial actions.
Key Issues:
– ASUU Demands: Full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of withheld salaries, sustainable university funding, protection against victimisation, and release of withheld cooperative and union deductions
– Government Response: Release of ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances and ₦150 billion for university revitalisation, but ASUU deems this inadequate
– NLC Stance: Solidarity with ASUU, urging government to honour collective agreements and respect workers’ rights
The meeting involves representatives from SSANU, COEASU, ASUP, and SSANIP, among others. The outcome will determine the next course of action for the unions and potentially impact Nigeria’s public tertiary education system.
