The Federal Government has inaugurated an expanded negotiation committee to re-engage all unions in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, with a view to concluding negotiations that began in 2019.
The committee, named after former Head of Service, Mahmood Yayale Ahmed, was inaugurated on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa (CON), in collaboration with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr. Mohammadu Maigari Dingyadi, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad.
The newly constituted committee replaces the previous fragmented negotiation structure and will serve as a single platform to engage all academic and non-academic unions from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Dr. Alausa said the harmonised approach is aimed at promoting coherence, inclusiveness, and efficiency in resolving long-standing issues within the sector.
He explained that the committee’s members were selected based on their expertise and representation across the tertiary education landscape, adding that both funding and administrative support had been secured to enable smooth and timely operations.
Negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions will resume from where they stopped, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for swift and fair resolution of outstanding issues.
“The President has given full political backing and mandate to ensure that Nigerian students remain in school and that all negotiations lead to lasting industrial harmony,” Alausa said.
The minister commended the patience and understanding shown by the unions and assured them of the Federal Government’s commitment to finalising and implementing all agreements without further delay.
He called on all invited unions to respond promptly, noting that the committee’s inaugural meeting would hold at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Dr. Alausa reaffirmed the government’s resolve to engage the unions in a “transparent, realistic, and mutually respectful manner” to achieve a sustainable and comprehensive agreement.
