The reconstituted committee tasked with renegotiating the 2009 agreements between the Nigerian Federal Government and university-based unions is set to meet with major academic unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities among others.
This development was confirmed by ASUU’s National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, during an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Although Osodeke did not disclose the exact date for the upcoming meeting, he indicated that the committee, newly appointed to address longstanding concerns between the government and the academic community, is scheduled to convene in the coming week.
In early October, the Federal Government officially announced the committee’s formation, setting a three-month deadline for it to submit recommendations addressing the long-standing 2009 agreement.
This newly formed committee represents the government’s fourth attempt at renegotiation with academic unions since 2017. Previous committees, led by Wale Babalakin (2017), Prof. Munzali Jubril (2020), and Prof. Nimi Briggs (2022), attempted to mediate ongoing issues but were unable to achieve lasting resolutions.
ASUU’s nine-month strike in 2020 underscored the urgency for renewed discussions.
The strike ended in December 2020, leading to the establishment of Prof. Jubril’s committee, which proposed several recommendations in a draft agreement in 2021.
Later, in June 2022, the Nimi Briggs Committee presented its own draft, citing collective bargaining as the foundation of its approach.
In response to ASUU’s recent ultimatum, former Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, inaugurated the new committee, expressing optimism for its success.
Mamman explained, “In the composition of this important Committee, we have the Chairman and members… who are exceptionally experienced in both University and other matters. There are officials appointed from other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to serve as Advisers or Observers on the Committee [who] will bring in peculiar information and make the work transparent.”
As for SSANU, it also plans to meet next week to discuss issues related to unpaid salaries, wage increments, and the N50 billion earned allowances still pending release by the government.
SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim shared these details while addressing journalists in Abuja, announcing that key topics would be addressed at SSANU’s 3rd Quadrennial National Delegates Conference.
This year’s conference, themed “Respecting Collective Bargaining Agreement and Industrial Peace in a Democracy,” will provide SSANU with an opportunity to reaffirm its dedication to strengthening the Nigerian university system.
“Specifically, we are revisiting the matters of the outstanding 3 months’ withheld salaries, the N50bn in earned allowances, arrears of the 25/35 per cent increment, and the wage award,” Ibrahim stated.
He added, “The upcoming National Delegates Conference will also mark the commencement of SSANU’s electoral process, wherein new leadership will be elected to steward the affairs of this great association over the next four years.”
With renewed commitments from both ASUU and SSANU to resolve these issues, the coming week’s meetings hold promise for substantial advancements in the efforts to stabilize the Nigerian higher education sector.
