Senator Muktari Dandutse says the Senate is mediating between ASUU and the FG to end the prolonged university strike and restore academic stability

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Muktari Dandutse, has revealed that the Senate is actively mediating between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government (FG) to resolve the lingering industrial dispute that has kept students out of school.

Also read: ASUU Demands Funding Boost to End Strikes, Warns FG

Speaking after a high-level meeting with ASUU leaders at the National Assembly on Friday, Dandutse said the upper chamber’s intervention aims to create a sustainable middle ground that will ensure universities reopen without further delay.

“Returning to school does not mean the issues are closed; it creates a conducive environment for continued dialogue,” he stated, emphasising that the Senate’s top priority is to secure academic stability and fair compensation for lecturers.

Dandutse outlined the Senate’s immediate steps, including facilitating negotiations between ASUU, the Ministry of Education, and the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He also noted plans to engage the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to resolve the ongoing University of Abuja land dispute.

According to him, all pending grievances will be consolidated for joint discussions with the Federal Government by early next week.

“Our goal is to push for immediate relief and long-term reforms that will prevent recurring strikes,” Dandutse said.

Supporting the effort, Senator Karimi Sunday observed that while progress has been made, some welfare-related issues remain unresolved.

“There are concerns over conference, group, and journal allowances. These must be properly reviewed to ensure they reach those entitled to them,” he said, stressing that the Senate was working to balance government fiscal realities with academic welfare.

“We cannot continue to allow strikes to cripple our institutions. This is about fairness, equity, and national progress,” he added.

Also contributing, Senator Adams Oshiomhole highlighted the economic pressures facing both students and lecturers.

“If a book costs ₦100 and inflation leaves a student with ₦75, education becomes inaccessible. We need to make policy adjustments that support both learning and teaching,” he said.

Oshiomhole further cautioned against the exodus of intellectual talent from Nigerian universities, warning that:

“If our best brains leave the classrooms for other sectors, we lose the foundation for innovation. A country that abandons its teachers cannot develop its technology.”

Responding, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, confirmed that while talks with the Federal Government are ongoing, parts of the latest proposal remain unacceptable to the union.

“The government’s proposal falls outside the Nimi Briggs benchmark that was earlier agreed upon. That’s why it remains an issue for us,” he explained.

Prof. Piwuna commended the Senate’s efforts but clarified that any decision to suspend the strike would be made collectively by ASUU’s branches.

“As leaders, we convey discussions to our branches for consideration. The decision to suspend action is democratic,” he said, dismissing claims that ASUU uses strikes as a first resort.

“We always pursue dialogue first. Unfortunately, it is only when we withdraw our services that the government becomes responsive.”

Also read: House of Representatives urges ASUU negotiations urgently

With the Senate’s renewed engagement, stakeholders remain cautiously optimistic that the latest mediation could mark a turning point in Nigeria’s long-running cycle of university strikes.