Abuja, Nigeria – October 16, 2024: The Federal Government has inaugurated a seven-member Re-negotiation Committee to address outstanding issues related to the 2009 agreements with university-based unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The move aims to resolve longstanding challenges within the Nigerian University System (NUS) and reposition the sector for national development.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, presided over the inauguration ceremony in Abuja. He emphasized the committee’s mandate to produce a “realistic and workable” agreement that addresses the issues facing the NUS comprehensively.
Recalling the history of the negotiations, Prof. Mamman noted that the re-negotiation process between the Federal Government and university staff unions, such as ASUU, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), began on February 13, 2017.
However, progress was delayed by various unforeseen circumstances. “Regrettably, this had lingered for this long due to a number of unforeseen circumstances. However, it is important to state that the immediate past leadership of the Renegotiation Committee under Professor Nimi Briggs produced a draft report with significant areas covered, and agreed on that would be a springboard to hinge on going forward to conclude the exercise,” the minister stated.
Prof. Mamman underscored the importance of swiftly concluding the re-negotiation process. He remarked that stakeholders within the Nigerian University System, and indeed across the country, were eager for a timely resolution that could foster stability and growth in the nation’s higher education sector.
The newly inaugurated committee has been tasked with several key responsibilities to guide the Federal Government’s position on the proposed agreements with university-based unions. These include liaising with stakeholders to address the issues highlighted in the draft proposed FGN/University-based Unions Renegotiated Agreements, renegotiating the 2009 agreements with other university-based unions under realistic terms, recommending additional measures to reposition the Nigerian University System for global competitiveness, and submitting proposed draft agreements within three months from the date of inauguration.
Prof. Mamman expressed confidence in the committee’s ability to complete its work within the stipulated timeframe, noting that some of the key issues had already been resolved while efforts continued to address the remaining ones.
