— Moves to Mediate Crisis, Constitutes Speaker-Led Committee
In a bid to avert another prolonged disruption of academic activities across Nigerian universities, the House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to immediately return to the negotiation table to resolve their lingering dispute.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Oluwaseun Whinghan, member representing Badagry Federal Constituency of Lagos State, during Tuesday’s plenary.
ASUU had on Monday declared a two-week warning strike over the Federal Government’s alleged failure to address long-standing issues, including the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, revitalisation funding, earned academic allowances, salary structure, and university autonomy.
Before the industrial action began, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, had assured that the Tinubu administration was in the final stages of negotiations with the union to resolve all outstanding matters.
Lawmaker Raises Alarm Over Renewed Strike
Moving the motion, Hon. Whinghan expressed deep concern that the fresh strike action could spiral into another extended shutdown of universities, with far-reaching implications for students, lecturers, and the nation’s development goals.
“Although ASUU has described the strike as a warning, previous experiences show that such actions often degenerate into prolonged work stoppages,” he warned.
Whinghan noted that Nigeria’s university system remains central to national development, innovation, and human-capital growth, stressing that any disruption undermines the country’s competitiveness, scientific progress, and youth productivity.
He reminded the House that education, as recognised under Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is a key driver of social and technological advancement, and that both the Federal Government and university unions have a collective duty to safeguard its continuity and quality.
The lawmaker lamented the recurring strikes in the tertiary education sector, which he said have caused student dropouts, brain drain, and a loss of public confidence in Nigeria’s university system.
House Moves to Intervene
Following a unanimous adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committees on University Education and Labour, Employment, and Productivity to immediately wade into the crisis and facilitate a lasting resolution between ASUU and the Federal Government.
In addition, the House resolved to constitute an Ad-hoc Committee chaired by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to mediate in the crisis and ensure that striking lecturers return to the classrooms without further delay.
The lawmakers also urged both parties to exercise restraint, embrace dialogue, and prioritise the interests of students and national development above other considerations.
Furthermore, the House called on the Federal Government to establish a permanent joint consultative platform with recognised university unions to promote continuous engagement and prevent future industrial actions.
The Committee on Legislative Compliance was directed to monitor and report the progress of mediation efforts to the House within one week.
“Education is the soul of a nation’s progress. We cannot afford to let our universities remain in crisis,” — Hon. Oluwaseun Whinghan
