University Unions Set For Crucial Talks with FG On Long-Standing 2009 Agreement
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), alongside the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and other academic unions, is set to engage with a newly reconstituted committee to renegotiate the 2009 agreement between the federal government and university-based unions. This move was confirmed by ASUU’s National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, who indicated that the committee would convene in the coming week, though he did not specify an exact date.
The Federal Government reconstituted the renegotiation committee in early October, giving it a three-month timeframe to address the long-standing issues. This latest committee is the fourth of its kind since 2017, with previous efforts led by Wale Babalakin (2017), Munzali Jubril (2020), and Nimi Briggs (2022). In 2020, ASUU undertook a nine-month strike, one of the longest in recent years, which ended in December following the establishment of the Munzali Jubril-led committee that developed a draft agreement with ASUU in 2021. Subsequent negotiations led the Nimi Briggs Committee to submit another draft agreement in June 2022, intended to address the concerns of university unions through collective bargaining.
In response to recent calls for action by ASUU, the current committee was formed under the Ministry of Education, with former Minister Tahir Mamman emphasizing the experience of the committee members and their role in ensuring transparency and informed decision-making.
ASUU President Osodeke expressed cautious optimism about the upcoming talks, saying, “We hope something good will come out of it.” Meanwhile, SSANU has scheduled its own discussions to revisit unresolved issues, including withheld salaries, wage awards, and an outstanding N50 billion in earned allowances. The SSANU meeting will occur at the 3rd Quadrennial National Delegates Conference, themed “Respecting Collective Bargaining Agreement and Industrial Peace in a Democracy.”
SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim stated that the conference would provide an opportunity to reaffirm SSANU’s dedication to advancing the Nigerian university system. He added that the conference will also kick off SSANU’s electoral process, paving the way for new leadership to oversee the association’s affairs for the next four years.
As university unions prepare to enter these negotiations once again, there is widespread hope that this renewed effort can finally yield lasting solutions for the country’s educational sector.
