The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has made a U-turn regarding his earlier remarks on the Federal Government’s agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), admitting that it formally signed a pact with the union in 2009.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the minister had insisted that no agreement existed between the government and ASUU, adding that the union was merely parading a draft document, a claim rejected by ASUU.

But in a statement released on Friday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the minister acknowledged that the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement remains the most recent signed and binding document between both parties.

According to the ministry, efforts to update the pact have been made, including the inauguration of a renegotiation committee in 2017 under former Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. It explained that the process produced the draft Nimi Briggs agreement in May 2021.

Titled ‘Clarification on Minister’s Statement Regarding FGN-ASUU Agreements,’ the statement noted: “When the Honourable Minister stated that there had been ‘no new signed agreement’ with ASUU, he was referring specifically to the 2021 draft Nimi Briggs document, which has not been formally executed.

“The Ministry therefore reaffirms that the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement remains the last formally signed agreement. The 2021 Nimi Briggs draft agreement was not signed but serves as the latest framework for discussions. The Federal Government remains committed to ending the 16-year stalemate with ASUU in a sustainable and constitutionally backed manner, ensuring our universities remain open for teaching and research.”

The statement urged stakeholders and the public to disregard any misinterpretation of the minister’s earlier remarks, assuring that the Federal Government remains committed to addressing ASUU’s demands under the Renewed Hope Agenda.