ASUU Strike Deepening Inequality, Hurting Poor Students – Rep Agbese

Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has expressed concern that the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) continues to harm students from low-income families who rely on public universities for education.

Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Tuesday, Agbese cautioned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against joining the ongoing ASUU strike, warning that such an action could undermine the education reforms currently being implemented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.

His remarks followed the NLC’s four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve its dispute with ASUU or face a nationwide strike.

Agbese urged the NLC and other stakeholders to support what he described as “bold and transformative” reforms by Dr. Alausa aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s education system for global competitiveness.

> “In developed nations, when a government begins to perform well in a sector, citizens usually give it time to consolidate on its progress. That’s exactly what we need to do for our education sector now,” he said.



Representing Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency of Benue State, Agbese outlined several achievements under the current administration, including improved transparency in university administration, better funding systems, and a renewed focus on research and digital learning.

He added that the Federal Government had expanded tertiary institution admission capacity from 750,000 to one million students and harmonised tuition policies through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to promote access and equity.

Agbese also praised the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) Roadmap and the Students Loan Scheme under NELFUND, which have widened opportunities for indigent students.

Additionally, he commended the World Bank–supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, which provides conditional cash transfers, improves school infrastructure, and empowers girls with digital and life skills.

According to him, these reforms are already showing positive results and should not be disrupted by continued industrial actions.

> “We must see ourselves as partners in the Nigerian project. Strikes have never solved our problems — they only make them worse. The National Assembly remains open for dialogue and will continue to mediate between government and the academic unions,” he said.



Agbese appealed to ASUU to abandon its “old strategy” of repeated strikes and adopt a more constructive approach by contributing policy ideas to support government reforms.

> “Each time ASUU goes on strike, it’s the children of the poor and teachers themselves who suffer the most. The Minister understands these challenges personally and is working to fix them. We must give him time and support,” he added.



Reaffirming the National Assembly’s commitment to bridging communication gaps between the government and education stakeholders, Agbese called for sustained dialogue and collaboration to move the sector forward.