The Nigerian Federal government and striking University Lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have agreed to resume talks next week to resolve the ongoing strike by university teachers.
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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige told reporters at the end of a closed-door meeting with members of ASUU in Abuja on Thursday that the talks between both parties had been fruitful.
The meeting which occurred on Thursday was convened at the insistence of the Minister who told reporters that talks will resume next week.
This position was also confirmed by the President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi;
“We have just started the discussion, we have really not gone too far, so what we have done today was to open the issues. By tomorrow we should meet and decide when we reschedule the meeting. This means that the strike still continues,” he said.
Nigerian University lecturers embarked on a total strike in Public Universities nationwide over demands for improved funding of public universities based on agreements reached with the Nigerian Government in 2009.
Some of the demands by the union include the nomination of another chairman of the government renegotiating team of the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government Agreement to replace Dr Wale Babalakin, the current Chairman.
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ASUU’s grievances also include, the non-payment of Earned allowance of Academic staff, funding of revitalization of the Nigerian universities, implementation of needs assessment report, poor funding of state universities, amongst others.