The Federal Government has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend its ongoing two-week warning strike, insisting that all the union’s demands have been met.

Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the appeal on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he said there was “no justification” for the industrial action.

 “We have addressed every single request by ASUU; there is no need for this strike, and we are pleading with them to go back to school,” Alausa said.

The minister’s comments came a day after ASUU declared a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike across all public universities in Nigeria.

ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, announced the strike during a press briefing on Sunday at the University of Abuja, citing the government’s failure to fulfil its commitments.

 “Compatriots of the press, it goes without saying that there is nothing sufficient on the ground to stop the implementation of ASUU-NEC’s resolution to embark on a two-week warning strike at the expiry of the 14-day notice given on 28 September 2025,” Piwuna said.

“Consequently, all branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, 13 October 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive as agreed at the last NEC meeting.”

However, Alausa dismissed ASUU’s claims, stressing that the Tinubu administration has been proactive and transparent in addressing all outstanding issues.

 “I can tell you today, literally all the demands of ASUU have been met. So I do not see any reason why ASUU has gone on this strike,” he said.

“Even from Friday, I had been getting text messages that ASUU had decided to go on strike. When you predetermine your action despite every gesture of goodwill from the government, what do you really want?”

Alausa stated that the government had paid ₦50 billion in earned academic allowances and allocated ₦683 billion in the 2025 budget for infrastructure in federal tertiary institutions — including hostels, lecture theatres, laboratories, and workshops.

He added that additional funds had been mobilised for medical schools, academic staff training, and student support through the National Education Revival Fund (NERF) and other programmes.

The minister also accused ASUU of delaying the release of needs-assessment funds by insisting that the first tranche be paid solely to universities, excluding polytechnics and colleges of education.

 “It is ASUU that is holding those disbursements,” Alausa claimed, urging the union to allow equitable sharing among institutions.

On other issues such as promotion arrears, third-party deductions, and salary shortfalls, Alausa said most had been resolved, while others were within the jurisdiction of individual universities.

He reaffirmed the government’s stance that salaries withheld during the previous prolonged ASUU strike would not be paid in full, citing prior agreements on partial payments.

“Let me reassure our students nationwide that the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, will do everything humanly possible to keep you in school,” Alausa said.

“I’m pleading with ASUU again to shelve this strike. There’s literally no need for it.”