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The Nigerian government has inaugurated yet another committee to renegotiate with tertiary education-based unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has issued a two-week ultimatum set to expire in six days.

According to the Ministry of Education, the new body — the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee — will be chaired by Yayale Ahmed, Pro-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The committee’s inaugural meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, 7 October 2025.

This development was contained in a statement released by the ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo.

Renewed hope, fresh negotiations

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who inaugurated the committee, urged all academic and non-academic unions to cooperate fully and respond promptly to the committee’s engagements. He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has given “full political backing” to the process, with a clear directive that negotiations be concluded swiftly and fairly.

“President Tinubu’s mandate is that all our children must be in school. This is renewed hope in action,” Mr. Alausa said.

He also commended the unions for their patience and commitment while assuring them that the administration is committed to achieving a final and comprehensive agreement.

ASUU’s looming strike

The move comes amid mounting tension in the education sector. Last week, ASUU issued a two-week ultimatum for the government to address lingering demands contained in the 2009 agreement. Seven days into the ultimatum, the union declared that there had been “no visible progress,” urging members to prepare for a strike.

However, the education ministry insists that the new committee is designed to ensure the conclusion of renegotiations with ASUU and other tertiary institution-based unions, including those in polytechnics and colleges of education.

A unified framework

According to the statement, the expanded negotiation committee will harmonise all previous negotiation efforts under a coordinated framework that ensures institutional memory, inclusiveness, and efficiency.

Speaking during a joint session with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, and the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmed, the education minister said the committee’s composition cuts across the full spectrum of the education sector.

He added that the committee has been equipped with a functional secretariat to facilitate its work.

In his remarks, Labour Minister Dingyadi emphasized that true peace in the education sector can only be achieved through inclusive dialogue.

“Excluding any stakeholder will only breed division and undermine collective progress,” he warned.

Speaking on behalf of the committee, Yayale Ahmed pledged that the team would operate with openness, inclusiveness, and integrity, while ensuring that outcomes are practical, realistic, and sustainable.

Too many committees, little progress

This latest committee marks at least the sixth established by successive administrations to renegotiate the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement, a long-standing document outlining.