President Bola Tinubu has celebrated the absence of prolonged strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since he assumed office, describing the development as an “answer to my prayers” and a relief for Nigerian families.
Tinubu made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He pointed to the uninterrupted university calendar as one of the improvements Nigerians can directly feel under his administration.
“None of your children in university today… can say a four-year course is not four years,” the President said, adding that ASUU was not on strike and was therefore no longer causing the disruption and anxiety experienced by students and parents.
The President’s comments reference a long history of industrial action in Nigeria’s public universities. Between 1999 and 2022, ASUU strikes resulted in more than five years of cumulative disruption to academic activities, with the 2022 strike lasting about nine months.
Tinubu also linked the stability to wider efforts by his administration to reform the education sector, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which was established to provide financial support for eligible students.
The President acknowledged that Nigerians have endured significant economic hardship during his tenure but maintained that the government’s reforms were beginning to produce greater stability and that prosperity was becoming visible.
The government’s relationship with ASUU has nevertheless involved considerable negotiation. In January, the Federal Government unveiled a renegotiated agreement covering academic staff remuneration and other conditions of service, with officials saying the deal was designed to improve stability and prevent repeated disruptions to university calendars.
Tinubu’s latest comments have therefore placed the continuity of university programs at the center of his administration’s education narrative, with the government presenting a stable academic calendar as a key benefit for students and their families.
