KEY POINTS

• NANS gives ASUU ultimatum to end strike threats.

• Students warn against further disruption to academic calendar.

• NANS urges Tinubu to personally intervene in talks.

The National Association of Nigerian Students has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities to resolve their lingering disagreements and avert a nationwide shutdown of public universities.

The students’ body warned that another strike would not only harm academic stability but also dash the hopes of millions of students struggling to complete their degrees.

NANS gives ASUU ultimatum over strike threat

In a statement on Wednesday, NANS President Olushola Oladoja expressed growing concern over the renewed tensions between ASUU and the government.

He said students would no longer tolerate disruptions to the academic calendar, especially after two consecutive years of stability under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration, a rare record since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

Oladoja said the recent strike warning issued by ASUU risked reversing the modest progress achieved in the education sector. “It is in this spirit that NANS appeals to both ASUU and the Federal Government’s negotiation team to find a workable and lasting solution within seven days,” he said. Many students, he added, are now studying through education loans and cannot afford another academic delay.

Students urge Tinubu’s direct intervention

While commending the administration’s education reforms, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, TETFund interventions, and the removal of university staff unions from the IPPIS payroll, Oladoja blamed the crisis on weak communication and slow implementation of previous agreements. He noted that NANS’ findings showed ASUU boycotted a recent government meeting due to procedural issues, and called for the talks to be reconvened without delay.

Accoridng to Punch, ladoja appealed to President Tinubu to personally intervene, warning that continued inaction could erode the goodwill his education policies have earned. “If this impasse is not resolved within seven days, it risks undermining the progress achieved under this administration,” he said.

ASUU began a warning strike on Monday after a 14-day ultimatum expired, demanding the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, payment of withheld salaries, and improved funding for universities. The strike has already disrupted examinations in several institutions.