The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to prioritise education and swiftly conclude ongoing negotiations to prevent further disruption of academic activities.

In a statement by its President, Christopher Piwuna, ASUU said it was concerned about the government’s inconsistent approach to the negotiation process, warning that such actions could have serious consequences for Nigeria’s education sector.

The statement followed the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Taraba State University, Jalingo, where members reviewed the progress of talks since the suspension of their warning strike.

ASUU explained that it suspended the warning strike out of respect for the goodwill shown by students, parents, labour unions, the media, and other Nigerians, believing that a one-month window would be enough to conclude renegotiations if the government acted in good faith.

The union decried the government’s continued failure to treat education as a social good vital for national development, describing the proposed salary increase for lecturers as grossly inadequate to address the persistent brain drain in the university system.

While acknowledging progress in some non-monetary aspects of the agreement, ASUU maintained that the issues of salaries and conditions of service remained unresolved.

It faulted the partial payment of promotion arrears and the release of third-party deductions, noting that these measures should not be presented as major achievements in the negotiation process.

The union accused government officials of undermining the talks through misrepresentation of offers and poor implementation of agreements just as it urged the government to use the remaining days of the one-month window to achieve a comprehensive and lasting resolution that would improve the welfare of academics and stabilise the university system.