The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed optimism that the newly signed agreement with the Federal Government will prevent industrial action in public universities for at least the next three years.
President of ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna, stated this on Thursday while speaking on The Morning Brief, a programme aired on ADBN TV, following the formal signing and unveiling of the 2025 agreement between the union and the Federal Government.
The agreement, signed on Wednesday, is aimed at improving the quality of university education in Nigeria and ensuring stability in the public university system, after years of recurring strikes triggered by disputes over funding, staff welfare, and the implementation of previous agreements.
Professor Piwuna said the new pact contains measurable deliverables that can be effectively tracked, giving both parties the opportunity to resolve issues early before they escalate.
“There are measurable aspects of the agreement, and we believe we can monitor it that way,” he said. “If we monitor it properly, we can raise concerns before they get to a head, and we hope that in three years’ time there will be no strike at all until this agreement is reviewed again.”
He explained that a key feature of the agreement is the establishment of an Implementation Monitoring Team, which will be domiciled at the National Universities Commission (NUC) and coordinated by the office of the NUC Executive Secretary.
According to him, the team will be responsible for continuously tracking compliance with the agreement to ensure that commitments made by both parties are honoured.
Professor Piwuna also confirmed that the long-disputed 2009 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government has now been formally replaced by the 2025 agreement.
“For implementation, it is believed that we now have the 2025 agreement; all references will be made to the 2025 agreement,” he said. “The 2009 agreement is no longer what we will refer to.”
He noted, however, that certain provisions of the 1992 agreement signed under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega would still be referenced for historical context and guidance.
“The 2009 agreement is history, and while we may refer to our history to understand how we got here, there is really nothing in the 2009 agreement that we are going to implement. Implementation going forward will be strictly based on the 2025 agreement,” he added.
The new agreement is expected to usher in a period of industrial peace in Nigeria’s public universities, provided its provisions are faithfully implemented by all parties.
