By Ireti Asemota.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has confirmed that its decision-making organs will convene today, Saturday, November 22, 2025, to determine the next steps after the one-month ultimatum issued to the Federal Government over the crisis in public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education officially expired yesterday.
NLC Acting Secretary-General Benson Upah stated on Friday that the congress remains fully committed to protecting the welfare of workers in the tertiary sector and will announce the outcome of today’s deliberations as soon as a decision is reached.
The ultimatum was issued on October 20, 2025, following a joint meeting with affiliate unions including ASUU, SSANU, NASU, and ASUP. NLC President Joe Ajaero declared at the time: “The era of endless negotiations, unsigned agreements, and threats against unions is over. We have given the government four weeks to conclusively resolve all outstanding issues across the sector.”
Key outstanding issues include:
- Full renegotiation and implementation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement
- Payment of withheld salaries and earned academic allowances
- Release of the university revitalisation fund
- Reversal of the “no-work-no-pay” policy applied during previous strikes
- Stopping the proliferation of new universities without adequate funding
While the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended its two-week warning strike on October 22 to allow dialogue, it warned it would resume indefinite action without further notice if no concrete progress was made by November 21.
Students plead for calm
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to the Federal Government to take immediate and decisive steps to avert a total shutdown.
NANS Assistant Secretary-General Adejuwon Olatunji-Emmanuel said: “Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office, Nigerian students have enjoyed the longest uninterrupted academic calendar since 1999. This hard-won stability must not be allowed to collapse. We urge all parties to prioritise dialogue and ensure that campuses remain open.”
As of early Saturday morning, no new agreement or major breakthrough has been publicly announced. The outcome of today’s NLC meeting will determine whether Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions face coordinated industrial action in the coming week.
#NLCEducationUltimatum #TertiaryInstitutions #ASUU #NANS #NigeriaEducationCrisis
