FG Vows to Prevent Future ASUU Strikes, Launches Transparency Dashboard for Universities

The Federal Government has assured that Nigeria’s public universities will no longer be shut down due to industrial actions, pledging to take every necessary step to prevent further strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known on Tuesday while addressing State House correspondents after briefing President Bola Tinubu on ongoing negotiations with the union.

According to Alausa, President Tinubu has given a firm directive to ensure uninterrupted academic activities and to implement data-driven reforms in the tertiary education sector.

“The President has made it clear that he doesn’t want ASUU to go on strike again. We are doing everything humanly possible to keep our students in school,” he said. “The last six-day strike was unnecessary. We have met most of ASUU’s demands and returned to the negotiation table.”

Alausa emphasized that the government is pursuing reforms based on transparency and accountability, noting that federal tertiary institutions receive almost all their funding from the government and must therefore be properly monitored.

To strengthen oversight, the ministry has launched the Federal Tertiary Institution Governance and Transparency Dashboard, a digital platform requiring universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to publicly disclose data such as student enrollment, budget allocations, TETFund and NELFund interventions, as well as grants and endowments.

“This platform will help us identify problems, track spending, and ensure our schools regain global competitiveness,” Alausa said, adding that the system will eventually include state and private institutions under the supervision of the NUC, NBTE, and NCCE.

In a related move, the ministry invited the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adeokun, to train heads of tertiary institutions on procurement guidelines, a step aimed at promoting accountability.

The minister also announced a restructuring of the government’s negotiation framework. A single body, the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Negotiation Committee, will now handle talks with all tertiary education unions, including ASUU, ASUP, and COEASU.

“This is a listening government,” Alausa said. “We are engaging all unions constructively, and everything is calm. There is no fresh ultimatum from any group.”

He linked the education reforms to broader national efforts, including forex reforms, subsidy removal, and infrastructure projects, noting that Nigeria’s GDP grew by 4.23% in the last quarter, a sign of renewed economic stability.

Despite past setbacks, Alausa assured Nigerians that the government has learned from experience and is determined to keep universities open permanently.

“The message from the Presidency is clear,” he declared. “Our universities must remain open. ASUU strikes are now a thing of the past.”