THE Federal Government has reconstituted and inaugurated an expanded negotiation committee chaired by former Head of Service, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, to accelerate discussions with academic and non-academic unions across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
A statement issued on Tuesday, October 7, by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, noted that the new committee, named the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee, is aimed at harmonising all ongoing talks with unions in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education under a unified and inclusive framework.
The statement stated that the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, while speaking during the inauguration on Monday, October 6, said the committee’s establishment was part of efforts to end years of fragmented and inconclusive negotiations that have repeatedly disrupted academic activities.
He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had given full political backing to the committee’s work, with a directive that “all negotiations be concluded swiftly, fairly, and in the spirit of mutual respect.”
The ICIR reports that the announcement of the inauguration of the negotiation committee came barely a day after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began mobilising members for a possible strike, following the expiration of the first week of its 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government.
In a letter dated October 5, 2025, and sent to all ASUU branches, the union’s president, Chris Piwuna, said the government’s continued silence had left the union with no choice but to prepare for strike action.
The circular noted that the National Executive Council (NEC), at an emergency meeting held on September 29, 2025, reviewed the results of a nationwide referendum and resolved to give the government two weeks to act on the renegotiated agreement transmitted since February 2025.
He stated in the letter that despite earlier communication with the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Education, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), there has been no meaningful development.
“It was further resolved that the union will proceed on a two-week warning strike at the expiration of the ultimatum if the government fails to take acceptable and satisfactory steps to address the lingering issues.
“The resolutions were immediately communicated to the Honourable Minister of Labour, the Honourable Minister of Education and the Nigeria Labour Congress,” the letter stated.
However, Alausa, on Monday, reportedly disclosed that the new committee had been provided with a fully equipped secretariat to aid its function, with its inaugural meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 7.
He also appealed to all academic and non-academic unions to cooperate with the team in the interest of students and national stability.
On his part, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, urged members of the committee to act as impartial mediators and uphold justice, fairness, and stability in their engagements, while emphasising President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to dialogue as a means to prevent future industrial actions.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M