The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), along with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and other university unions, is scheduled to meet with a newly reconstituted committee next week to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with the Federal Government. ASUU’s National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed the upcoming deliberations in an interview, though he did not specify the exact date.
In early October, the government reconstituted this committee, which has a three-month mandate to address lingering issues, marking the fourth attempt since 2017 to reach an understanding on the agreement. Previous committees, led by Wale Babalakin (2017), Munzali Jubril (2020), and Nimi Briggs (2022), have each contributed to drafting recommendations. The Nimi Briggs Committee submitted a collective bargaining draft in June 2022, but unresolved matters persisted.
In addition, SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim announced on Friday that his union would address withheld salaries, outstanding wage awards, and N50 billion in earned allowances at their upcoming National Delegates Conference (NDC) next Wednesday. The conference, themed “Respecting Collective Bargaining Agreement and Industrial Peace in a Democracy,” will provide an opportunity for SSANU to reaffirm its dedication to advancing the Nigerian university system.
Both ASUU and SSANU leaders express hope that these negotiations will yield lasting solutions to issues that have previously led to extensive strikes, including ASUU’s nine-month walkout in 2020.
