NANS Appeals to Federal Government and ASUU to Avert Strike

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reach a compromise to prevent disruptions in the academic calendar.

Speaking at a news briefing in Akure on Sunday, NANS Senate President, Henry Okunomo, emphasized the need for immediate and decisive action to avoid a potential strike by ASUU, which has issued a three-week ultimatum to the government over outstanding demands.

Okunomo called on President Bola Tinubu to allocate sufficient resources to the education sector, improving infrastructure, providing necessary teaching aids, and ensuring timely payment of salaries and benefits to lecturers.

He stressed the importance of establishing a continuous dialogue platform among the government, university administrators, and lecturers to address grievances before they escalate.

“We are all acutely aware of the recurring disruptions caused by strikes in our universities,” Okunomo stated.

“These strikes, often as a result of unresolved issues between university lecturers and the government, have profound and far-reaching consequences on the educational journey of countless students.”

He added, “It is with a heavy heart and a determined spirit that I address this pressing issue today, appealing to the government to take immediate and effective steps to prevent our lecturers from resorting to another strike.

We, the students, are the primary stakeholders in this situation. Our voices, hopes, and futures hang in the balance.”

Okunomo also appealed to lecturers to embrace dialogue and make necessary compromises to avoid the collapse of the education system.

“We are counting on the government to act decisively and with a sense of urgency to prevent the devastating impact of another strike.

We appeal to our lecturers to also embrace dialogue and shift ground where necessary to avoid the collapse of the education system,” he said.

Okunomo concluded by noting that it would be disastrous for university lecturers to shut down the universities with an industrial action, especially when the country is already grappling with economic hardship.