Abuja, December 1, 2025 – In a high-stakes push to avert another crippling university shutdown, the Federal Government (FG) has opened fresh negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over a proposed 40 per cent salary increase for lecturers, even as Nigeria grapples with an escalating crisis leaving 18.3 million children out of school. Concurrently, the country is forging ahead with a strategic partnership with Qatar to overhaul education for vulnerable children, including the Almajiri system, while anti-corruption watchdog SERAP has dragged the Senate leadership to court over the alleged disappearance of N18.6 billion in public funds.
The ASUU-FG talks, confirmed by Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa, come just days after the union’s one-month ultimatum expired on November 23, 2025, amid mounting fears of industrial action that could disrupt the academic calendar for millions of students. Alausa emphasized President Bola Tinubu’s directive to keep universities open, stating, “We’ve met literally all their requirements and are back at the negotiation table. We will resolve this.” The 40 per cent pay rise proposal marks an escalation from an earlier 35 per cent offer, which ASUU’s 89 branches unanimously rejected in November for deviating from the recommendations of the 2022 Nimi Briggs committee on salary renegotiations.
ASUU, led by national president Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, has long demanded implementation of the Briggs report, which proposed hikes up to 50 per cent for professors (to N800,000 monthly), alongside earned allowances and better funding to address infrastructure decay. Union insiders in Abuja described the new offer as a “step forward” but stressed it must align with the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement and recent committee findings to prevent strikes, the last of which lasted eight months in 2022. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind ASUU, warning of broader labour solidarity if talks falter.
Yet, these negotiations unfold against the stark backdrop of Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis, which UNICEF reported surged to 18.3 million by late 2024 – the highest globally, accounting for 15 per cent of the world’s total. Of these, 10.2 million are primary-school age and 8.1 million junior secondary, with northern states like Borno, Zamfara, and Kaduna hardest hit by insecurity, poverty, and cultural barriers. Recent mass abductions, including 25 girls in Kebbi on November 17 and over 300 children in Niger State days later, have forced the indefinite closure of 20,468 schools across seven northern states, Amnesty International warned on November 25. The group decried the government’s “persistent failure” to protect schools, noting at least 15 mass kidnappings since the 2014 Chibok incident, leaving a generation at risk of extremist recruitment and perpetuating cycles of poverty.
Education’s 7.3 per cent allocation in the 2025 budget (N3.52 trillion) falls short of UNESCO’s 15-20 per cent benchmark, with under half targeting primary levels. Experts, including those from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), which announced a US$15 million grant in December 2024 for 130,000 children in the northeast, urge community engagement, free meals, and cash transfers to boost enrollment, especially for girls facing gender disparities.
Enter Qatar: In a timely diplomatic coup, Education Minister Alausa wrapped up high-level talks in Doha on November 26, sealing commitments to transform Almajiri and out-of-school education. Discussions with Qatar’s Minister of Education Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) Director-General Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, and Education Above All (EAA) CEO Mohammed Saad Al-Kubaisi focused on upgrading Tsangaya (traditional Islamic boarding schools) infrastructure, training Mallams (teachers), and bolstering 33 bilingual schools built by the Islamic Development Bank across 11 states. An MoU is slated for early 2026, aiming for scalable solutions to reduce exclusion and foster child protection. This builds on broader Nigeria-Qatar ties, including anti-drug pacts and TVET modernization with the University of Doha for Science and Technology.
As optimism brews on the education front, a corruption storm brews in the National Assembly. SERAP filed suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2457/2025) on November 29 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas – in their personal capacities and on behalf of all lawmakers – plus the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC). The action stems from the Auditor-General’s September 9, 2025, report on 2022 accounts, flagging N18.6 billion budgeted for the NASC Office Complex and roof garden conversion as unaccounted for, allegedly paid to a “fictitious construction company.”
SERAP seeks a mandamus order to compel disclosure of the company’s identity, procurement details (bids, contracts, Tender Board minutes, FEC approvals), and fund whereabouts, arguing the lapse violates the 1999 Constitution and anti-corruption treaties. “The allegations… are a grave violation of public trust,” SERAP’s lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo stated, warning it erodes democratic institutions. The Auditor-General fears diversion or theft, with no evidence of project progress despite the payout.
These developments underscore Nigeria’s dual education battle: securing university stability while rescuing millions from illiteracy’s grip, all shadowed by accountability lapses. As talks progress and partnerships deepen, stakeholders call for swift action to safeguard the nation’s future. Clarion Newschannel will monitor updates
Languish Out of School: Nigeria Courts Qatar Lifeline Amid N18.6B Senate Scandal
