Education
Strike: Tertiary education may collapse under Buhari – Health workers warn
Professional healthcare providers under the auspices Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) have berated the federal government for failure to address the demands raised by unions within the university system.
The union said it is most heartbreaking watching the presidency feigning ignorance to the demands raised by the unions, while the political actors are busy aspiring to occupy leadership positions.
In a joint statement signed by MHWUN’s National President Com. Biobelemoye Josiah and Com. Auwalu Yusuf Kiyawa, Acting Secretary General respectively, they insisted that the government must meet the demands of the unions if it hopes to salvage tertiary education from imminent collapse.
DAILY POST recalls that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU, Non Academic Staff Union of University and Allied Institutions NASU, National Association of Academic Technologists NAAT among other unions have been on strike owing to alleged discrepancies in implementation of the Integrated Personnel Payrolls and Information System IPPIS including other issues bothering on infrastructural development.
The union on Sunday, insisted that they are in solidarity with the proposed national strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress as their members have been put on red alert to hit the streets once a date is agreed on.
Recall also that NLC had issued a notice to mobilise its affiliate unions for a nationwide solidarity strike with ASUU but was yet to carry out the threat.
Throwing its weight behind the struggle, MHWUN said, “we have followed with a keen interest the ongoing industrial impasse in the country’s public tertiary institutions, which had led to their closure since 14h February, 2022 and the lethargic response of the government in addressing the problem.
“The ASUU, NASU, SAUTHRIAI, NAAT had been on strike for more than five months due to the apparent failure of Government to sign the re-negotiated 2009 Agreement with ASUU, failure to honour the terms reached at the May 2021 MoU signed with ASUU, and habitual failure of Government to respect Collective Bargaining Agreements willingly signed with Unions.
“Also in contention is the refusal of the government to adopt the home-grown innovative solutions provided by the Unions in the payment of University Workers’ Salaries.
“It is equally disheartening to note that since the unfortunate strike started, Government actions and response to such a huge national embarrassment had been more of “motion without movement”. If anything, Government response has not gone beyond the watery statement of “We are meeting with the Unions…” or the usual out-dated tactics of blackmailing Union leaders as in similar situations.
“No responsible Government would close down its Public Tertiary Institutions in this 21st century because of patriotic demands for a better funding of its universities and good welfare for its teaching and non-teaching staff. This is shameful.
“The Leadership of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria is particularly irked that the Federal Government and the political Actors have abandoned the children of the poor masses at home to waste away, instead they are seen dissipating energy and resources that could have been used to resolve the issue to fund political tussle to occupy plum offices that previous occupiers have failed to use for the benefit of the masses.
“We are more worried with the development because the academic future of the Citizenry is being disrupted whereas the politicians and top Government officials have their children mostly in well funded and equipped oversea schools or in relatively expensive private schools in Nigeria.
“Discerning minds will agree with us that the negative impact of the strike on the future of our children and Nigeria in general cannot be quantified. We call on people of goodwill to stand up in defense of the right and future of our children and Nigeria, by demanding Government to do the right thing
and bring back these children to the classroom.
“We condemn in strong terms the lethargic attitude of the government in resolving the issues in contention.
“In order to protect the future of our youths whose academic life is being disrupted, we call on the Government to
implement without further delay all the agreements it had entered with the Unions. We urge the relevant MDAs to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari’s earlier directive to resolve all outstanding issues with the Unions is
backed by immediate acceptable action that would end the stalemate.
“MHWUN wishes to use this medium to unequivocally state that we firmly stand behind the University based Unions and the clear position of NLC leadership in this historic struggle.
“Our State Councils have been put on a red alert, as we will not hesitate to declare a solidarity strike in support of
the Unions if the government fails to resolve the issue within a reasonable time”.
The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria also condemned in the strongest terms the spate of insecurity in the Country, saying the rising orgies of killing, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and extreme agitation for secession have assumed a dangerous dimension.
According to MHWUN hardly any day passes by without reports of security challenges in some parts of the
Country. Human lives have become so cheap and without value.
Josiah said Nigerian workers are no longer safe both at their homes and at work places, as many have lost their lives to these enemies of state.
“We, therefore, demand for a resolute action from the gvernment to end this degrading assault on the sovereignty of our Nation.
“We equally condemn the current scarcity of diesel, cooking gas, petrol and aviation fuel, and the rising wave of arbitrary prices all over the country.
“This pathetic development has further exposed workers whose salaries and income has already been eroded by inflation, to greater hardship. The situation reinforced the earlier call by the organized Labour for a resolute
action on domestic refining of petroleum.
“According to its 2021 OPEC report, Nigeria export petroleum products worth 27.73 billion dollar, but imported refined products of 71.28 billion dollar, leaving a deficit
of 43.46 billion dollar. (OPEC Report: March 21, 22).
“To our Union, there is no better time to end the madness of petrol importation than now.
“Finally, as political activities are hitting up, it has become obvious that the same political Actors that have brought us anguish, hunger, pains, death, social and economic woes are seriously preparing to return to power. We
wish to state that it will no longer be business as usual.
“We wish to reiterate our earlier call to all our members across the country to ensure they register and obtain their PVCs and wait for further directive from the Leadership of the Union as Nigerian Workers’ are prepared to take back their country from the economic buccaneers,” the statement added
The Ogun State Government has inaugurated a multi-sectoral Safe Schools Steering Committee as part of renewed efforts to strengthen security architecture across schools in the state amid rising concerns over the safety of pupils, students, and teachers.
The committee is expected to drive the formulation and implementation of policies, strategies, and intervention programmes aimed at preventing security breaches, enhancing emergency preparedness, and ensuring that schools remain safe, stable, and conducive for learning.
Inaugurating the committee in Abeokuta, the state capital, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, described the initiative as a deliberate and strategic response to emerging security challenges in the education sector.
He said the composition of the committee reflected a careful selection of professionals drawn from relevant sectors, based on competence, experience, and institutional responsibility.
According to him, the government recognises that schools can no longer be treated as isolated institutions, but must be protected through coordinated action involving government agencies, security operatives, communities, and development partners.
“The inauguration of the Ogun State Safe Schools Steering Committee is a strategic response aimed at strengthening collaboration among government agencies, security services, communities, development partners and all stakeholders in the education sector,” Arigbabu said.
He stressed that the task before the committee was urgent and non-negotiable, warning that the future of children in the state depended on the quality and timeliness of their decisions.
“As members of this committee, your selection was based on expertise, experience, and institutional responsibilities. This task is both important and urgent. The future of our children depends on the effectiveness of the decisions and actions we take today,” he said.
Arigbabu urged members to discharge their duties with “dedication, professionalism, integrity and a strong sense of purpose,” adding that every school in Ogun State must remain a place of safety, hope, and opportunity rather than fear.
“I therefore charge you to approach this assignment with dedication, professionalism, integrity, and a strong sense of purpose. Let us work together to ensure that every school in Ogun State remains a place of safety, learning, hope, and opportunity,” he added.
Other stakeholders at the inauguration reinforced the need for collective responsibility, stressing that school safety cannot rest on government alone but requires sustained collaboration from all segments of society.
They noted that communities, parents, security agencies, and development partners must work in synergy to safeguard learning environments and protect the future of children.
“As we inaugurate this committee today, let us recognise that school safety is not the responsibility of government alone. It is a shared responsibility requiring partnership, vigilance, innovation, and collective action,” one of the stakeholders said.
“The decisions we take and the commitment we make here today will contribute significantly to shaping the future of thousands of learners across our state,” the stakeholder added.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State Wing, has directed all public primary and secondary school teachers in the state to embark on an indefinite strike over the continued abduction of teachers and pupils.
The strike, which takes effect from Monday, June 1, 2026, is expected to ground academic activities across public schools in the state.
The union said the action became imperative following what it described as growing insecurity in schools and the prolonged captivity of abducted teachers and pupils whose whereabouts remain unknown.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the Oyo State Wing of the NUT, Hassan Fatai, and the Secretary, Salami Olukayode, the union expressed concerns over the psychological impact of the incidents on teachers, learners and parents.
According to the union, the lingering abduction cases have created fear and anxiety among teachers, weakened confidence in the safety of schools and discouraged many parents from sending their children to school.
The statement read in part, “The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Oyo State Wing, hereby directs all public primary and secondary school teachers across the state to commence an indefinite strike action effective from Monday, June 1, 2026, pending urgent and decisive action by relevant authorities on the abduction of teachers and pupils.”
The union explained that the industrial action was aimed at compelling the government and security agencies to intensify efforts toward the immediate and unconditional release of the victims.
It urged teachers across the state to comply fully with the directive, remain peaceful and law-abiding, and prioritise their safety while staying away from classrooms during the strike.
The NUT also expressed solidarity with the abducted victims and their families, assuring that it would continue to engage relevant authorities until the victims were safely rescued.
The union reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare, safety and security of teachers and pupils, stressing that the protection of school communities remained non-negotiable.
No fewer than 2,243,816 candidates on Thursday commenced the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board across accredited Computer-Based Test centres nationwide.
The figure represents a 10.5 per cent increase from the 2.03 million candidates recorded in 2025.
The examination, which began on April 16, is being conducted in about 1,000 CBT centres nationwide, with candidates scheduled in four daily sessions to reduce congestion and improve verification processes.
The board said it had deployed biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems to safeguard the integrity of the exercise, noting that candidates whose biometric details could not be authenticated would be rescheduled.
Candidates were advised to print their examination slips from the JAMB portal to confirm their schedules and arrive at least one hour before their examination time.
Under the revised timetable, first-session candidates are expected at 7:00 a.m., followed by 9:00 a.m. for the second session, 11:00 a.m. for the third session, and 2:00 p.m. for the final session.
JAMB disclosed that Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with 381,814, followed by Ogun with 137,156 and Oyo with 122,662. Kaduna recorded 103,498 candidates, while the Federal Capital Territory had 102,961.
Other states include Rivers with 105,584 candidates and Kano with 83,167, while Borno and Zamfara recorded the lowest figures with 13,483 and 14,861 candidates respectively.
Outside Nigeria, participation remained low, with Côte d’Ivoire recording 32 candidates, followed by Equatorial Guinea with 16, Burkina Faso with 14, and the United Kingdom with 12 candidates.
As part of efforts to enhance efficiency, the board increased the number of CBT centres but delisted 23 centres across several states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Edo, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory, over technical deficiencies observed during the mock examination.
The board said the action was necessary to maintain operational standards and ensure the credibility of the examination process.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force dismissed reports of insecurity at some centres, describing such claims as unfounded.
The police said it had deployed additional personnel, including patrol teams, perimeter surveillance units and rapid response squads, to ensure the safety of candidates nationwide.
The force added that it was collaborating with other security agencies to monitor the exercise and respond swiftly to any threats.
It assured parents and candidates of adequate security, urging candidates to comply with examination guidelines, arrive early and report suspicious activities.
The police also advised the public to disregard unverified information on social media and rely on official communication channels.
JAMB reiterated its commitment to transparency, warning candidates against accepting admissions outside its Central Admissions Processing System.
It stressed that any admission conducted outside CAPS would be considered illegal and would not be recognised.
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