Alausa Inaugurates Unified Committee To Monitor Tertiary Institutions’ Agreements, Curb Strikes
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has announced plans by the Federal Government to establish a unified Implementation and Monitoring Committee to oversee agreements with academic and non-academic staff unions across tertiary institutions and prevent recurring strikes.
Alausa said the government would expand the existing committee monitoring its agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to cover all staff unions in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
He made this known at the unveiling of the 2026 agreements between the Federal Government and tertiary institutions’ staff unions, which provide for the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA), effective January 1, 2026.
According to the minister, the expanded committee would have broader representation of unions and relevant stakeholders to monitor implementation, assess progress, address challenges and provide periodic reports on fulfilled and outstanding obligations.
He said the initiative was designed to promote accountability, transparency and timely implementation of agreements, noting that previous failures to fulfil commitments had weakened trust between the government and unions, leading to recurring disputes and prolonged industrial actions.
Alausa lamented that strikes had cost students valuable academic time, increased financial burdens on families and disrupted teaching and research, stressing that effective implementation of the new agreements was essential to ensuring stable academic calendars.
The agreements provide CATA for members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), while CONTTA covers non-teaching staff unions across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The minister said the allowances were intended to support the professional and operational needs of eligible personnel, adding that staff welfare and conducive working conditions remained critical to improving the quality of tertiary education.
He assured the unions that the Federal Government would fulfil its obligations under the agreements, while urging government agencies, governing councils and institutional managements to comply with implementation guidelines and cooperate with the monitoring committee.
Alausa also called on union leaders to keep their members informed and channel emerging concerns through established mechanisms, emphasising that early consultation and constructive dialogue were necessary to prevent disagreements from escalating into industrial action.
Meanwhile, the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mohammed Ibrahim, urged the Federal Government to implement all provisions of the agreements, warning that the payment of allowances must not overshadow other outstanding commitments.
Ibrahim said the payment of outstanding salary arrears and implementation of allowances had boosted workers’ morale, but insisted that all pending obligations must be addressed.
He expressed optimism that the unified monitoring committee would facilitate the timely resolution of outstanding issues and improve relations between the government and the unions.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, commended both parties for reaching the agreements through collective bargaining, dialogue and mutual understanding.
Ahmed urged the unions to exercise patience during implementation, noting that government administrative processes could take time.
He also called for the harmonisation of identified discrepancies in the agreements to ensure fairness and prevent any union from feeling disadvantaged.
