President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the absence of strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since he assumed office as an answered prayer, saying it has restored stability to Nigeria’s university system.
Speaking while receiving the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu said students can now complete their academic programmes on schedule, noting that “a four-year course is now four years” because ASUU is no longer embarking on prolonged industrial actions.
The President acknowledged the economic hardship Nigerians have experienced under his administration, attributing it to challenges inherited from the previous government. However, he said his administration has stabilised the economy and expressed confidence that prosperity is on the horizon, with improvements already being felt in citizens’ quality of life.
Tinubu also assured the bishops that his administration remains committed to tackling the country’s security challenges, stressing that Nigeria would overcome its current difficulties through unity and resilience.
His remarks come against the backdrop of years of disruption in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, where ASUU strikes between 1999 and 2022 led to more than five years of lost academic time, including the union’s eight-month strike in 2022, the longest in its history.