By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
A Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has said strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have declined under the current administration, noting that the union has embarked on only one strike since 2023.
Olusegun made the claim in a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, describing the lone action as a nine-day warning strike and attributing the development to deliberate government interventions in the education sector.
According to him, the situation marks a departure from what he described as frequent and prolonged strikes under previous administrations.
“The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has only gone on strike once since the inception of the Renewed Hope administration; a warning strike that lasted nine days,” he said, adding that the progress was the result of sustained engagement with the union.
However, checks show that while there has been no prolonged nationwide strike since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, ASUU has issued several ultimatums and embarked on brief warning actions over unresolved issues, including funding and allowances.
Olusegun also said the Federal Government had recorded a major breakthrough following the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU agreement, expressing optimism that the development could end recurring strikes in public universities.
He listed key interventions to include the exemption of federal universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the release of ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances, and a ₦150 billion allocation in the 2025 budget for university revitalisation.
The aide further cited a new salary review agreement signed on January 14, 2026, and ongoing reforms under the Renewed Hope agenda, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), as part of efforts to stabilise the university system.
