Industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities has reduced significantly under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, a presidential aide has claimed.
Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, said the union has gone on strike only once since 2023, describing the brief industrial action as a warning strike that lasted nine days.
“The Academic Staff Union of Universities has only gone on strike once since the inception of the Renewed Hope administration about three years ago; a warning strike that lasted for nine days,” Olusegun said in a statement on his verified X handle on Tuesday.
He attributed the decline in strikes to deliberate government interventions aimed at improving the tertiary education sector.
“This feat, which marks a departure from the frequent strikes under previous administrations, did not happen by chance; it was made possible by the deliberate efforts of the government over the past three years,” he added.
Olusegun highlighted that the Federal Government recently achieved a major breakthrough with ASUU following the renegotiation of the 2009 agreements.
“With this landmark agreement and salary review, we might have placed a final nail on the coffin of ASUU strikes,” he said.
He also listed several initiatives under the “Renewed Hope” agenda designed to strengthen universities, including exempting federal tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System to enhance autonomy, expanding the negotiation committee to unify all tertiary unions, allocating ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for university revitalization, and releasing ₦50 billion for Earned Academic Allowances.
Checks by PUNCH Online show that while there have been no prolonged strikes under Tinubu’s administration, ASUU has issued ultimatums and carried out brief warning actions over disputes relating to funding and allowances.
Olusegun said the administration will provide further details of its interventions to demonstrate ongoing efforts to resolve perennial issues affecting public universities.
