ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-A Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has stated that industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities has significantly declined under the Renewed Hope administration, asserting that the union has embarked on strike only once since 2023.
Olusegun linked the development to what he described as intentional government interventions in the education sector.
He made the assertion in a statement shared on his X handle on Tuesday, explaining that the lone industrial action was a nine-day warning strike.
According to him, the trend represents a clear shift from years of recurrent strikes experienced under previous administrations.
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“The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has only gone on strike once since the inception of the Renewed Hope administration about three years ago; a warning strike that lasted for nine days.
“This feat, which marks a different trajectory from the previous annual strikes, did not happen by chance; it was made possible by deliberate efforts of the government over the past three years,” he said.
However, checks show that although no prolonged, nationwide strikes have taken place since President Tinubu’s inauguration in May 2023, ASUU has issued multiple ultimatums and carried out brief warning actions over disagreements bordering on funding and allowances.
The presidential aide further noted that the Federal Government had achieved significant progress in addressing longstanding disputes with the union following the renegotiation of the 2009 agreements.
“With a major breakthrough for the longstanding issue now announced by the FG following the renegotiation of the 2009 agreements, we might have placed a final nail on the coffin of ASUU strikes,” he said.
Olusegun added that interventions in the tertiary education sector form part of wider reforms under the Renewed Hope agenda, alongside what he described as the “highly successful” Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) programme.
He said additional details of the government’s actions would be provided to demonstrate efforts aimed at resolving the recurring challenge of strikes in public universities.
Outlining some of the measures, he said: “Removal from IPPIS Federal tertiary institutions were exempted from IPPIS, allowing universities to process their own payrolls and enhancing autonomy.
“Expanded Negotiation Committee unified all tertiary unions under one committee.
“Financial Interventions — ₦150 billion allocated in the 2025 budget for university revitalisation, with the allocation planned to be released in three tranches of ₦50 billion each.
“Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) — ₦50 billion released for earned academic allowances.
“Landmark Agreement and Salary Review — signed on January 14, 2026.”