The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has raised serious concerns about a purported clandestine agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) concerning the disbursement of a N50 billion earned allowance. NASU has warned that any preferential treatment of ASUU in the distribution process could spark a fresh wave of industrial action.
Speaking at the Universities and Inter-University Centres Trade Group Council Meeting in Abuja, NASU’s General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, cautioned that any unfair allocation would once again destabilize the university system. He recalled previous grievances when earned allowances were inequitably split, with non-teaching staff receiving a mere 20 percent while academic staff took 70 percent, a situation that contributed to the prolonged 2022 strike.
Adeyemi referenced an agreement signed in August 2022, in which the government pledged to release N50 billion for earned allowances. However, to date, the commitment remains unfulfilled. NASU has since learned of a recent stakeholders’ meeting—attended solely by ASUU—further fueling suspicions that the entire amount might be allocated exclusively to ASUU.
“We strongly suspect the government intends to channel the N50 billion to just one union,” Adeyemi warned, stressing that such a move would violate existing agreements and deepen existing fractures within the tertiary education sector. He called for equitable distribution to maintain industrial harmony.
The union also voiced dissatisfaction with the performance of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), which, according to Adeyemi, has failed to integrate university personnel assets and liabilities comprehensively. He additionally condemned the unlawful cessation of union check-off dues in institutions such as the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe in Bayelsa State, labeling it a direct contravention of Nigerian labor laws.
NASU’s National President, Dr. Hassan Makolo, criticized the government for its continued delay in renegotiating the 2009 agreement and failure to pay arrears. He expressed frustration over the lack of tangible progress since December 2024, declaring, “Enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, NASU Lagos Chairman, Timothy Olawore, highlighted the chronic underfunding of education, poor infrastructure, and accelerating brain drain. He reaffirmed NASU’s unwavering dedication to reforming and revitalizing the education sector.
Buhari Suleiman, Chairman of the Trade Group Council and NASU’s Deputy President, painted a grim picture of the nation’s broader condition. He decried the meager 9.2 percent allocation for education in the 2025 budget, labeling it as a glaring departure from international standards. He also cited Nigeria’s poor Global Terrorism Index ranking, the energy crisis, rising unemployment, and systemic corruption as symptoms of national decay. “No nation can thrive when its youth—the future—is neglected,” he asserted.
NASU has made its stance clear: unless the earned allowance is shared equitably and other critical issues, including IPPIS and pending agreements, are urgently addressed, the union will not hesitate to resume industrial action. The government has been urged to act swiftly to avert another educational crisis.
