by Lovely Eseoghene Onohwakpor
FG Moves to Halt ASUU Strike Threat, Offers 40% Pay Rise in New Proposal
In a renewed effort to prevent another shutdown of public universities, the Federal Government has presented a 40 per cent salary increment proposal to university lecturers under ASUU, according to reliable sources who confirmed the development in Abuja. The offer is expected to form a key part of discussions as the union reconvenes with the government’s negotiation team led by Yayale Ahmed.
Read also: ASUU Suspends Warning Strike, Gives Government One Month to Act
ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) reached a collective position during its meeting in Abuja on Sunday, with branch chairpersons mandated to brief their members nationwide ahead of the next round of talks.
A senior NEC member, who declined to be named due to restrictions on speaking with the press during negotiations, said the union would return to the dialogue table next week.
“They have proposed a 40 per cent salary increase. Our branch leaders will relay this to members. Negotiations are still ongoing,” the official said.
The union’s one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government expired last Saturday, raising fears of an imminent strike across Nigeria’s public universities. In response, the government held a marathon meeting with ASUU leadership from Monday to Tuesday in Abuja, with both sides keeping discussions confidential under established negotiation protocols.
ASUU maintains that unresolved issues—including the long-delayed review of the 2009 agreement, unpaid earned allowances, outstanding salary arrears, and the release of revitalisation funds—remain at the heart of its grievances.
Despite these concerns, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, who is currently abroad, insists the government has substantially met the union’s demands. Two weeks earlier, Alausa stressed President Bola Tinubu’s directive against any further disruption to academic activities.
“The President has made it clear that he doesn’t want strikes in public universities. We are doing everything possible to keep students in school. We’ve addressed almost all of ASUU’s concerns and are continuing discussions,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reiterated its support for ASUU, warning that it will intervene if the government fails to satisfactorily address the union’s outstanding demands.
