The Federal Government has said four-year degree programmes must be completed within four years, as it moves to expand its implementation and monitoring committee to cover academic and non-academic staff unions across tertiary institutions to prevent strikes.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while unveiling the 2026 agreements between the Federal Government and unions in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Alausa said the agreements gave practical expression to President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise that students should complete four-year courses within the prescribed period.
“During his campaign, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised that a four-year course would be completed in four years.
“Today, through his leadership, these agreements give practical expression to that pledge: A promise made, a promise kept, and trust restored,” the minister said.
According to Vanguard, Alausa said the government was determined to end recurring disputes over unfulfilled agreements, which have disrupted academic calendars and delayed students’ progress.
Committee to monitor implementation
The minister announced plans to expand the existing Implementation and Monitoring Committee, established for the agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, into a single platform for monitoring agreements with academic and non-academic unions across tertiary institutions.
He said the committee’s membership would be broadened to accommodate relevant unions and stakeholders, adding that the government would work towards making it a permanent structure.
The committee is expected to track agreed milestones, assess progress, resolve implementation challenges and ensure accountability through periodic reports.
According to Alausa, the arrangement would help identify difficulties early and resolve them before they degenerated into disputes capable of disrupting academic activities.
He urged union leaders to channel complaints through the committee rather than resorting to public confrontations or threats of strikes.
“We must strengthen early consultation and resolve differences through constructive dialogue, mutual respect and good-faith engagement.
“Our students and their families must remain at the centre of these efforts,” he said.
Alausa added that the agreements contained a provision for review every three years, allowing the government and unions to reopen discussions on emerging concerns and mutually agreed adjustments.
Unions report progress in implementation
The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Shammah Kpanja, described the negotiation process as the fastest in the union’s history, noting that talks began in December 2025 and culminated in the signing of the agreement in April 2026.
He disclosed that implementation had commenced, with members receiving outstanding arrears between July and September, but urged the government to ensure that all other provisions were fully implemented.
Kpanja also welcomed the planned inauguration of a joint implementation committee, expressing hope that it would accelerate implementation before the end of the year.
Similarly, the President of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, Lawal Bazza, said the subsector had achieved more than 70 per cent implementation of the agreement.
He expressed confidence that the committee would help address the outstanding provisions.
Punch Online had earlier reported on Tuesday that Alausa urged university-based unions to sustain dialogue with the Federal Government and avoid actions that could disrupt academic activities.
The report also quoted the Chairman of the Federal Government Negotiation Team, Yayale Ahmed, as warning against threats of indefinite strikes over outstanding payments.
Ahmed said the success of the negotiations would depend on the government’s willingness to implement the agreements and the unions’ readiness to exercise patience.
He also disclosed that discrepancies had been identified in parts of the agreements, which would be addressed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
