The Nigerian government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has held a high-level meeting with stakeholders over Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU, to explore sustainable solutions to longstanding challenges in the country’s tertiary education sector.
The meeting took place in Abuja on Thursday.
Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, said the discussions involved a line-by-line review of ASUU’s proposals, which will now be refined by the Ministry’s technical team.
The team is expected to submit a “clean report” to the Yayale Ahmed-led committee tasked with renegotiating the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement.
Alausa said; “We want an agreement where every component is actionable and feasible. Nigerians can be assured that this government will keep our schools open and ensure our children remain in classrooms.”
He further explained that, unlike previous negotiations, the Ministry of Justice would now be fully involved to ensure that all agreements comply with constitutional provisions.
“Contrary to some impressions in the public sphere, the Ministry has no binding agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities. The document currently in circulation is only a draft,” Alausa explained.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Education, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, and the Solicitor-General of the Federation.
Also present were Permanent Secretaries from the Ministries of Education, Labour, and Justice, as well as heads of key agencies, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Salaries and Wages Commission, and the Budget Office.
PIAK