Students Issue One Week Ultimatum to FG and ASUU to End Crisis

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) seven days to resolve their lingering dispute to avoid another nationwide strike.

NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday, warning that students would not tolerate any further disruption of the academic calendar.

He said Nigerian students had enjoyed two straight academic years without interruption under President Bola Tinubu’s administration — something the country had not witnessed since 1999. However, the recent threat of an ASUU strike, he noted, was putting that record in danger.

Oladoja urged both parties to return to the negotiation table within a week to find a lasting solution, stressing that many students now depend on educational loans and cannot afford delays in their studies.

The student leader commended President Tinubu’s reforms in the education sector, including the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the removal of tertiary staff from the IPPIS platform, the reversal of the 40 percent IGR remittance policy, and the ongoing TETFund interventions.

He, however, blamed poor communication and slow implementation of agreements for the renewed tension between ASUU and the government.

According to him, NANS’ investigation showed that a recent meeting called by the government to resolve ASUU’s grievances failed to hold because of procedural misunderstandings. He said both sides had now indicated readiness to meet once the process is properly reconvened.

Oladoja appealed to President Tinubu to personally step in to prevent the situation from deteriorating, warning that another strike could destroy the progress achieved so far in the education sector.