As the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) enters the seventh day of its two-week warning strike, the union has confirmed ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government’s renegotiation team, led by former Head of Service, Yayale Ahmed.
According to ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the union is seeing positive movement on five of its seven demands, which include release of third-party deductions, settlement of promotion arrears, mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), reversal of land confiscation at the University of Abuja and an end to the victimisation of ASUU members at Prince Abubakar Audu University, Lagos State University and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
In a bulletin dated October 19, 2025, titled “Strike Bulletin No. 2,” Prof. Piwuna praised ASUU members for their unity and resilience.
He reiterated the union’s commitment to engaging with the government in line with the draft renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, guided by the principles of Collective Bargaining.
“Engagements are continuing… We commend the resilience and courage of our members. Remain united and steadfast,” Piwuna urged, adding that branch chairpersons remain the most reliable source of verified information for members.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Federal Ministry of Education has come under fire for allegedly neglecting 15-year-old math prodigy, Agbo Adoga, who was reportedly set to represent Nigeria at the International Mathematics Olympiad in China.
The controversy was triggered by a social media post from Alex Onyia, CEO of Educare, who claimed the ministry refused to fund Adoga’s trip due to a lack of funds.
“Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, just informed me that Adoga qualified to represent Nigeria… But Ministry of Education officials said they don’t have money to sponsor anybody. So he will not attend. Nigeria lost again!” Onyia wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The post quickly went viral, sparking outrage online, with many Nigerians accusing the ministry of neglect and failure to support the country’s brightest talents.
However, the Ministry of Education swiftly denied the claims.
In a statement issued by spokesperson Folasade Boriowo, the ministry said it had no official record of a sponsorship request from the student’s school or any recognized body.
“There is no record or correspondence in our files indicating any such request. Any verifiable information should be formally submitted to the ministry for necessary action,” the statement read.
In a follow-up conversation with DAILY GAZETTE, Boriowo challenged critics to provide evidence of a formal application or correspondence.
