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ASUU Extends Six-Month-Old Strike Indefinitely

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday extended its six-month-old strike indefinitely until the Federal Government meets its demands.

A member of the union, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the development to Channels Television following a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the striking varsity teachers at the University of Abuja.

He said the union extended the industrial action after reviewing progress reports on ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government in the last four weeks when ASUU rolled over the strike.

Last week, the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu said the Federal Government had addressed most of the union’s demands including the release of N50b for the payment of earned allowances for academic and non-academic and non-academic staff of universities.

ASUU embarked on the strike on February 14th, 2022. It had then declared a four-week warning strike. But after a month, the lecturers extended it by eight weeks, saying the government needs more time to look at its demands.

Following the Federal Government and lecturers’ inability to reach a resolution, the union on May 9 further extended the strike by 12 weeks.

The university teachers are seeking improved welfare, the revitalisation of public universities, and academic autonomy among others. Several meetings between government representatives and ASUU have ended in deadlock. One such was held about two weeks ago with the Professor Nimi Briggs Committee at the National University Commission (NUC) in Abuja.

But a senior member of ASUU told Channels Television that the Briggs Renegotiation Committee did not come up with a new deal. The anonymous source said the committee had pleaded with the union to suspend the strike and promised that their concerns will be included in next year’s budget.

Since the industrial dispute, several groups and individuals have waded into the matter. The latest is human rights lawyer Femi Falana who asked the Federal Government to sign the renegotiated agreement with the striking workers.

“Instead of engaging in the diversionary tactics of blackmailing ASUU the Federal Government should ensure that the strike is called off by signing the Renegotiated Agreement with ASUU without any further delay,” Falana said in a statement he issued on Sunday.

“While calling on both sides to resume the negotiations in the interest of the country the Federal Government should be prevailed upon to end the prolonged industrial action.”

Education

JAMB: Over 1.5m candidates score less than 200 in 2025 UTME

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has released a comprehensive statistical breakdown of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, results.

The breakdown offers a full picture of the performances by Nigerian candidates in the examination conducted across the country.

According to JAMB, out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, over 1.5 million of them scored less than 200 in the exam.

It, however, announced that 4756 candidates scored above 320, 7658 candidates scored between 300 and 319.

In the statement accompanying the data, the Board said that 40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities.

JAMB further stated that only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.

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Tinubu Appoints Kukah Pro-Chancellor University Of Applied Sciences Kachia

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

He said the President also appointed principal officers for the university, including Prof. Qurix Williams Barnabas as Vice Chancellor, Sanusi Gambo Adamu as Registrar, Ibrahim Dalhat as bursar, and Prof. Daniel Abubakar as university Librarian.

President Tinubu also approved the appointment of Mr Thomas Etuh, representing the North Central, Chief Fabian Nwaora (South East), Prof Femi Taiwo (South West) and Zarah Bukar (North East) as members of the university’s Governing Council.

The statement noted that all the appointees were carefully selected based on their distinguished careers, leadership experience, and dedication to advancing education in Nigeria.

It added that Tinubu implored them to use their collective expertise to position the university as a hub for academic excellence and research, aligning with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

President Tinubu urged the newly appointed officers to provide visionary leadership and lay a solid foundation for the university’s growth as it prepares to admit its first cohort of students in September 2025.

The Federal University of Applied Sciences was formerly known as Nok University. It was renamed following the federal government’s takeover of its assets.

 

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FG Directs Higher Institutions To Establish Sexual Assault Referral Centres

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Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim
Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim
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The Federal Government has called on Nigerian universities to set up Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) to address cases of sexual harassment and ensure timely intervention.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, made the call at a national summit on sexual harassment in Nigerian tertiary education held in Abuja on Monday, November 25, 2024.

Suleiman-Ibrahim described sexual harassment as a global menace and a pervasive violation of human rights, particularly against women and girls.

The minister stated that the effects of sexual harassment transcend physical harm, leaving survivors with emotional, psychological, and socio-economic scars.

Suleiman-Ibrahim highlighted the present administration’s commitment to zero-tolerance against gender-based violence through several initiatives, including supporting the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 and the Sexual Harassment Prohibition Bill passed by the 9th Senate in July 2020.

Suleiman-Ibrahim pledged her commitment to championing gender equality principles and addressing gender-based violence, including sexual harassment eradication, in all its forms.

She also emphasised the need for universities to prioritise the safety and well-being of their students by enforcing policies, establishing gender-sensitive frameworks, and creating safe reporting channels

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