Minister of State for Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, has assured students that the recent protests by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will not escalate into another round of strike action.

Alausa gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja following a high-level meeting with key government officials to address the ASUU’s demands.

“This government does not want strikes,” Alausa said.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu strongly believes that young people are the heartbeat of this nation, and he is determined to keep our children in school. We are committed to this task with sincerity, transparency, and respect for all parties.”

He disclosed that President Tinubu has directed the Ministry of Education to work with relevant government agencies to develop a sustainable and constitutionally compliant agreement that will permanently resolve the longstanding crisis with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The minister also noted that the President is determined to put an end to the cycle of academic disruptions in public universities.

“Mr. President has mandated myself and the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad, to work with all stakeholders to resolve this issue once and for all,” Alausa said.

According to him, the Tinubu administration will not sign “unsustainable agreements,” but is committed to reaching accords that are practical, affordable, implementable, and constitutionally sound.

“Nigerians can be assured that this process is being handled with the highest level of diligence, accountability, and honesty of purpose,” he added.

Alausa then assured the public that recent ASUU protests would not escalate into a strike, as the government continues to engage the union constructively.

He noted that progress has been made on key demands, including the payment and mainstreaming of earned academic allowances.

He explained that the outstanding 35 percent wage arrears will be paid once payments to other public servants begin.

“This government does not want strikes. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu strongly believes that young people are the heartbeat of this nation, and he is determined to keep our children in school. We are committed to this task with sincerity, transparency, and respect for all parties,” the Minister affirmed.

A technical committee led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Enitan, has been established to produce a revised draft agreement, which will be presented to the Yayale Ahmed-led negotiation committee, the ministry of education disclosed.

The process will, for the first time, involve the Ministry of Justice from the outset to ensure all agreements are legally binding and constitutionally aligned.

Also present at Thursday’s meeting were senior officials from the Ministries of Labour and Productivity, the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries from the Ministries of Education, Labour and Justice, as well as the Executive Secretary of the NUC, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, the Budget Office, and the Chairman of the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. The meeting reviewed ASUU’s proposals line by line.

The ministry, however, urged Nigerians to remain patient and supportive as it works to conclusively close this chapter of recurring disputes with a sustainable agreement that will stand the test of time.