The Federal Government has moved to clear the air on the controversy surrounding agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), insisting that the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement remains the last signed and binding pact between both parties.
This clarification followed Thursday’s comments by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, suggesting that no formal agreement had ever been signed with ASUU.
In a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, the Ministry of Education explained that while a draft document known as the Nimi Briggs Agreement was produced in May 2021 during renegotiations, it was never signed by the Federal Government.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the FGN-ASUU Agreement was last signed in 2009. That agreement remains the most recent signed and binding agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU,” the statement read.
Boriowo further clarified that when the minister said there was “no new signed agreement,” he was specifically referring to the 2021 Nimi Briggs draft, which, though used as a framework for discussion, did not amount to a formal commitment.
The ministry reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving its longstanding impasse with ASUU, which has repeatedly disrupted the university calendar through industrial actions.
“As a matter of clarity, in 2017, the then Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, inaugurated a renegotiation committee to review the 2009 agreement. The outcome of that process was the 2021 draft Nimi Briggs Agreement, which was not signed but serves as the latest framework for discussions,” the statement added.
The government assured Nigerians that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, it remains determined to find a sustainable and constitutionally backed resolution to the 16-year stalemate, ensuring that universities remain open for teaching and research.
The clarification is expected to douse tensions and correct earlier misinterpretations of the minister’s remarks as the government and ASUU continue their negotiations.