The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to work together to prevent any disruptions to the academic calendar.
Henry Okunomo, the NANS senate president, stressed during a news briefing in Akure on Sunday the urgent need for decisive action from the federal government to avert potential strikes and maintain stability in the educational sector.
“We are counting on the government to act decisively and with a sense of urgency to prevent the devastating impact of another strike,” Okunomo stated.
He also appealed to lecturers to embrace dialogue and make necessary compromises to avoid collapsing the education system.
ASUU had issued a three-week ultimatum to the federal government regarding outstanding demands.
Okunomo urged President Bola Tinubu to allocate sufficient resources to the educational sector to improve infrastructure, provide necessary teaching aids, and ensure timely payment of salaries and benefits to lecturers.
He highlighted the importance of establishing a continuous platform for dialogue between the government, university administrators, and lecturers to address grievances before they escalate, thereby preventing academic disruptions.
“We are all acutely aware of the recurring disruptions caused by strikes in our universities. These strikes, often due to unresolved issues between university lecturers and the government, have profound and far-reaching consequences on the educational journey of countless students. We, the students, are the primary stakeholders in this situation. Our voices, hopes, and futures hang in the balance,” Okunomo emphasized.
He concluded by warning that it would be disastrous for university lecturers to shut down the universities with industrial action while the country is battling economic hardship.
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