LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reach an agreement to avoid disruptions in the academic calendar.
The NANS senate president,Henry Okunomo, made this appeal during a news briefing on Sunday in Akure.
He urged the federal government to take swift and decisive action to avert any strikes that could destabilise the education sector.
“We are counting on the government to act decisively and with a sense of urgency to prevent the devastating impact of another strike,” said Mr Okunomo.
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“We appeal to our lecturers to also embrace dialogue and shift ground where necessary to avoid collapse of the education system,” he added.
ASUU had issued a three-week ultimatum to the federal government over some outstanding demands.
Mr. Okunomo further urged President Bola Tinubu to allocate adequate resources to the education sector to improve infrastructure, provide essential teaching aids, and ensure timely payment of salaries and benefits to lecturers.
He emphasized the importance of establishing a continuous dialogue platform between the government, university administrators, and lecturers to address grievances before they escalate and cause academic disruptions.
“We are all acutely aware of the recurring disruptions caused by strikes in our universities.
“These strikes, often due to unresolved issues between university lecturers and the government, have profound and far-reaching consequences on the educational journey of countless students.
“We, the students, are the primary stakeholders in this situation. Our voices, hopes, and futures hang in the balance,” said Mr Okunomo.
He concluded by warning that it would be disastrous for lecturers to shut down universities with industrial action, especially during a period of economic hardship.