A pivotal meeting between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government has been scheduled for next week, coming just as the union’s one-month ultimatum to the authorities winds down on Friday, November 21, 2025.
In a memo circulated to branch leaders, the Federal Government invited ASUU’s top negotiators to a two-day session slated for Monday and Tuesday, November 24–25, aimed at finalising the long-delayed renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement. The call for dialogue appears to be a last-minute attempt at averting another breakdown in the nation’s university system.
Comrade Jangfa Timothy Zhimwang, Chairperson of ASUU at the Federal University of Lafia, confirmed the development in a communiqué to members.
While describing the invitation as belated, he stressed that the union would honour it in good faith.
“We are a responsible union and will not turn down an invitation to dialogue,” the statement read. “We will wait for the outcome of the meeting before determining our next steps.”
NEC to Meet Immediately After Talks
According to the memo, ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) is expected to convene immediately after the engagement in Abuja.
The council will review whatever offer the government presents and then decide the union’s “next line of action”—a phrase that hints at the possibility of renewed industrial action if the talks fall short of expectations.
Zhimwang urged members nationwide to stay united and prepared for any directive from the NEC, adding that the union’s strength has always stemmed from its cohesion and resolve.
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“Members should remain calm, motivated, and fully prepared. Our unity remains our greatest strength,” he said, ending with the union’s familiar rallying cry: “The struggle continues…”
Longstanding Issues Still Unresolved
This looming meeting marks yet another attempt to close out negotiations that have dragged on for years. ASUU had earlier given the government a one-month window to tie up loose ends, but progress has remained slow despite repeated assurances from the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, who recently claimed the government had “literally met” several of ASUU’s demands.
The union, however, maintains that the core issues remain unresolved. Among its major demands are:
* A comprehensive renegotiation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement
* Payment of outstanding withheld salaries
* A workable, sustainable funding structure for Nigeria’s public universities
As both sides return to the negotiating table next week, many stakeholders are watching closely, hoping the talks will avert another shutdown of the nation’s universities.
