Implementation Monitoring Team to Ensure Compliance and Stability in Public Universities
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed optimism that its newly signed agreement with the Federal Government will avert strikes for at least three years, provided it is properly implemented.
The pact, unveiled on Wednesday, aims to improve the quality of university education and provide stability in public institutions. Over the years, ASUU has repeatedly gone on strike, citing issues such as inadequate funding, poor welfare for lecturers, and incomplete enforcement of previous agreements.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, ASUU President Prof. Chris Piwuna said:
“There are measurable aspects of the agreement, and we believe we can monitor it that way. If we monitor it, we can raise concerns before it gets to a head, and we hope that in three years’ time there will be no strike at all until this agreement is reviewed again.”
The agreement includes an Implementation Monitoring Team, domiciled at the National Universities Commission (NUC) and coordinated by its Executive Secretary. The committee will track compliance to ensure the agreement is respected and properly followed up.
Prof. Piwuna confirmed that the 2009 agreement, which had triggered multiple strikes over unresolved issues, has now been replaced by the 2025 agreement. While ASUU will refer to the 1992 agreement for historical context, all future implementation efforts will be guided by the 2025 pact.
“2009 is history, and we will continue to refer to our history so that we are properly guided. But for implementation, there is really nothing in the 2009 agreement that we are going to implement; it will be the 2025 agreement,” he said.
The new agreement signals a renewed effort to ensure stability in Nigeria’s public universities and reduce disruption to academic activities caused by recurring strikes.
