Education

Act now to avert strike, ASUU warns education minister, presidency

Published

1 year ago

August 9, 2025

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Saturday warned the Federal Government to act immediately to prevent a looming strike across government-owned universities.

ASUU said the government had pushed it to the wall in a statement signed by its National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna.

In the statement, ASUU noted that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, recently declared that “not again ever in this country will ASUU or tertiary institutions, trade unions, teachers, lecturers go on strike.”

According to the union, Alausa predicated his declaration on the government’s strategy of “dialogue, maintaining a good relationship with union heads (leaders), and meeting the demands of the unions.”

While ASUU said it shared the minister’s optimism about dialogue and maintaining relationships, the union, however, said the government needed to go beyond words and act on outstanding issues.

“Feelers across campuses indicate that lecturers in Nigerian public universities are, to put it mildly, not happy. They teach students on empty stomachs.

“They conduct research in libraries and laboratories bereft of essential electronic and physical journals, books, chemicals, and reagents.

“They engage with communities and agencies in rickety cars while encumbered by utility bills, children’s fees, house rents, family upkeep, and a legion of other unmet responsibilities.

“Yet, elite Nigerians are quick to blame the universities for ‘producing unemployable graduates’ and failure to initiate innovative research for addressing the country’s problems.

“Our members feel forgotten, shamed, and demoralised by past and present governments,” it said.

ASUU said it had ceaselessly warned owners (government and visitors) of public universities — the Federal and State Governments — of the consequences of breeding a disempowered, dissatisfied, and disoriented intellectual workforce.

“At the centre of the union’s advocacy is respect for collective bargaining principles as enshrined in the International Labour Organisation’s Convention No. 98 of 1949 and Convention No. 154 of 1981.

“The flip-flop disposition of successive governments towards collective bargaining has created an atmosphere of distrust which will take extra effort and energy on the part of the current Federal Government to dispel.

“Nothing illustrates this antipathy better than the frustrated attempts to conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, despite the submission of a draft agreement by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed committee to the government since December 2024, eight clear months ago!

“Every major dispute ASUU has had with governments since 2012, when the 2009 Agreement was due for renegotiation, emanated from failure to respect the provisions of the signed document on (i) conditions of service; (ii) funding; (iii) university autonomy and academic freedom; and (iv) other matters, including the review of the laws governing the National Universities Commission and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

“Agents of government at the state and federal levels have characteristically thrown the underlying principles of the agreement overboard and resorted to platitudes and tokenism. They pick and choose what aspect(s) of the package to ‘renegotiate’ and implement. They discountenance the morale of intellectual workers and basic requirements for delivering on their mandate of teaching, research, and (community) service.

“And now, we hear of attracting academics who were forced into seeking better work environments elsewhere as ‘volunteers’ with the ‘Diaspora Bridge’! On what foundation will the bridge stand? Does this not amount to hypocrisy? Nigerian governments have distracted and deceived university lecturers for too long. They push academics to the point of a strike and turn around to withhold their salaries.

“Our union is also gravely concerned by decisions of some governing councils at the federal and state universities. Universities that are built on merit and scholarship are being turned into commodities for politicians and contractors in the appointment of Vice Chancellors,” it said.

ASUU condemned the attempt to bring back the Acting Vice Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, “despite clear evidence that her promotion to the rank of Reader and Professor was fraught with a lot of contradictions.”

It said similar things are unfolding in federal universities.

“For the umpteenth time, ASUU invites all genuine patriots to prevail on Nigeria’s Federal and State Governments to address all lingering labour issues in the Nigerian University System to avert another looming industrial crisis. Nigerian academics are tired of governments’ excuses,” the union said.

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Education

How Nigerians can apply for 2027/2028 UK commonwealth scholarship – FG

Published

4 days ago

September 15, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Federal Ministry of Education has invited qualified Nigerian university graduates to apply for the 2027/2028 Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowship Plan, with applications closing on October 20, 2026.

The scholarship notice was shared by the Lagos State Scholarship Board.

The scholarships, which are tenable in the United Kingdom, are available for a one-year taught Master’s programme or doctoral studies of up to three years.

The notice was issued by the ministry’s Department of Scholarship Awards, formerly known as the Federal Scholarship Board, and signed by the Director Overseeing the Office of PSE, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, for the Minister of Education.

According to the notice, applicants for the Master’s category must have a first degree with at least a Second Class Upper Division.

For doctoral studies, applicants are required to possess a relevant Master’s degree in addition to at least a Second Class Lower Division in their first degree.

Applicants for both categories must have secured admission into at least two UK institutions.

Doctoral applicants are also required to provide a supporting statement from a prospective supervisor at their chosen UK institution.

The ministry further listed evidence of participation in the National Youth Service Corps among the eligibility requirements.

The notice stated that the selection process would focus on three key areas.

“Applications will be assessed on Academic merit, Development impact on completion and Quality of Study plan,” it said.

How to apply

The notice said all applications must be submitted through the Electronic Application System.

Applicants are required to register on the EAS portal and complete the application form online.

They must also upload scanned copies of their passport photographs, university academic transcripts, birth certificates and admission letters received from a UK institution listed in the application form.

Completed applications must be submitted online on or before October 20, 2026.

After submitting the application, candidates are required to create a PDF version of the completed form, download and print one hard copy for submission at the interview venue.

The notice said foreign certificates must be accompanied by official translation and evaluation.

It also advised applicants to consider Nigeria’s developmental priority areas relevant to their fields of specialisation when preparing their study proposals.

The priority areas include education; health; economic growth and the private sector; governance and conflict; climate and environment; water and sanitation; engineering; science and technology; food and nutrition; and humanitarian disasters and emergencies.

The ministry also advised prospective applicants to ensure that their proposed studies align with Nigeria’s development needs.

Prospective applicants were advised to consult the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website for further information on the scholarship and selection criteria.

Further enquiries may be directed to the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards, through fsb@education.gov.ng, 09124516750 or 09082454557.

Application portal: https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships-results/?wpv_view_count=13930&wpv-cscukscholarshipcountry=nigeria&wpv_filter_submit=search

Source: punchng.com

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Education

NELFUND: ‘A Child Should Be Able To Graduate Without Being Buried In Debt’ – Atiku Fires Tinubu’s Aide

Published

6 days ago

September 13, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has slammed the Special Assistant on Social Media to President Bola Tinubu, Olusegun Dada, over a remark that he hates NELFUND and wants it cancelled.

It was reports that Dada, in a post via 𝕏, said Atiku does not believe that the child of a nobody should have access to education.

He wrote: “Mr @atiku hates NELFUND and wants to cancel it because he does not believe the children of the poor should have access to education.”

Responding to Dada, Atiku, in a statement through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, via 𝕏 assured that he is not opposed to the education of poor children.

Atiku said he only opposes turning education into a debt trap after the government first allowed fees to skyrocket.

The former Vice President said he wants poor children to graduate without being buried in debt.

The post read, “@DOlusegun, this is simply dishonest. Atiku does not oppose education for poor children. He opposes turning education into a debt trap after the government first allowed fees to skyrocket.

“Imagine a widow selling food by the roadside to send her daughter to university. The government raises the fees beyond what she can afford, then tells the daughter to borrow the money and begin adult life in debt.

“That is not compassion. Atiku’s position is clear: make education affordable again, restore scholarships and grants, and ensure that a child’s future does not begin with a loan burden.

“The child of nobody should not only enter school, that child should be able to graduate without being buried in debt.”

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Education

ASUU threatens nationwide strike over unpaid salaries, agreement

Published

1 week ago

September 11, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike if the federal government and state governments fail to urgently address outstanding issues affecting university lecturers.

ASUU said it could reactivate the strike “without any further notice” over the incomplete implementation of the December 2025 agreement, payment of the remaining 3.5 months of withheld salaries and non-remittance of billions of naira deducted from lecturers’ salaries.

The union’s position was contained in a statement sent to our correspondent in the early hours of Friday by its President, Christopher Piwuna, after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council held at the University of Abuja.

ASUU said the December 2025 agreement followed more than eight years of negotiations and struggles but had not been fully implemented by the Federal Government and several state governments.

“Unless immediate and concrete steps are taken to FULLY and COMPREHENSIVELY address issues bordering the welfare and well-being of Nigerian academics, ASUU-NEC will not accept any blame for calling out its members on a nationwide strike action within the shortest time possible,” the union warned.

It commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and the governments of Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Borno for commencing implementation of the agreement.

The union said Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa had also pledged to commence implementation in September or October, while warning other states to act before their universities were plunged into an “industrial crisis of monumental proportions.”

On withheld salaries, ASUU acknowledged that the Tinubu administration had paid four of the 7.5 months withheld during the Buhari administration but demanded the immediate release of the outstanding 3.5 months.

“We have consistently acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for paying four (4) out of the withheld salaries. However, leaving out the unpaid balance does not give his government the full credit of a labour-friendly administration,” it said.

ASUU also alleged that pension contributions, cooperative deductions and union check-off dues running into billions of naira had remained unremitted for several months.

The union warned that the combination of unpaid salaries, unremitted deductions and poor implementation of the agreement was threatening industrial peace in the universities.

“In no mistaken terms, ASUU posits that the non- or haphazard implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement by federal and state governments is a recipe for industrial crisis in Nigeria’s public universities,” it stated.

It urged the Federal Government and state governments to act quickly, insisting that it would not accept responsibility if the suspended strike was reactivated.

“ASUU-NEC resolved to notify all concerned that the Union may activate its suspended strike action without any further notice if the critical issues raised in this release are not speedily addressed,” the union said.

Source: punchng.com

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