The Senate has raised fresh concerns over the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement the agreements reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), urging for an immediate renegotiation to end the prolonged industrial dispute crippling Nigeria’s university system.
The call was made following deliberations by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions, chaired by Senator Muntari Dandutse, during its session on the state of tertiary education in the country. The committee lamented that the persistent standoff between the Federal Government and ASUU has continued to disrupt the academic calendar, thereby jeopardizing the future of thousands of Nigerian students.
Senator Dandutse emphasized that the failure to address ASUU’s demands—ranging from improved welfare conditions to revitalization of public universities—has created instability in the sector, calling it “a ticking time bomb for national development.”
Following the deliberation, the Senate resolved to summon key government agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC), to a roundtable meeting with ASUU leadership aimed at finding a lasting and sustainable resolution to the crisis.
The upper legislative chamber reiterated its commitment to restoring normalcy to Nigeria’s university system, stressing that education remains the cornerstone of national growth and must not be allowed to collapse due to unresolved industrial disputes.