Lecturers at Three Lagos State Universities Call Off Strike
Academic staff across LASU, LASUED, and LASUSTECH have suspended their industrial action and announced an immediate return to classrooms following negotiations over welfare and outstanding agreements.
Lecturers across three state-owned universities in Lagos have suspended their industrial action and instructed members to resume teaching immediately, according to a report by Vanguard News. The decision brings an end to classroom disruptions and offers relief to students and families awaiting the restart of academic activities.
Institutions Resuming Academic Work
The suspension applies to the three tertiary institutions owned by the Lagos State Government:
- Lagos State University (LASU)
- Lagos State University of Education (LASUED)
- Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH)
The announcement was delivered through a joint statement signed by branch leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU): Olusegun Babalola, coordinator of the steering committee at ASUU-LASU; Grace Abimbola, acting chairman at ASUU-LASUED; and Murisiku Onigemo, chairman at ASUU-LASUTECH.
Focus on Welfare and Mediation Efforts
According to the union leaders, the dispute centered on securing improved welfare packages for staff and ensuring the implementation of existing academic agreements. While the joint statement did not disclose specific financial terms or timelines agreed upon with authorities, the leadership characterized the outcome as a significant milestone in their negotiations.
The union heads acknowledged several external groups for facilitating dialogue during the impasse. They specifically credited diplomatic interventions by traditional rulers for helping bridge communication gaps between the lecturers and government representatives. In addition, the union thanked civil society organizations—such as the Joint Action Front (JAF), Education Rights Concern (ERC), and the Campaign for Democratic Workers Rights (CDWR)—alongside media organizations, for highlighting their concerns.
Addressing the student body and parents, the union representatives expressed appreciation for their resilience and patience throughout the work stoppage, emphasizing that the union’s actions were intended to safeguard standards in public tertiary education.
Ongoing Engagements Ahead
Although lecturers have been instructed to return to lecture halls with immediate effect, the union indicated that dialogue with state officials is not entirely concluded. Representatives noted that they plan to maintain discussions with the Lagos State Government to ensure that all outstanding matters concerning staff welfare are comprehensively resolved.
The brief provided by Vanguard News did not detail the exact date the strike commenced, the full schedule for revised academic calendars, or the formal responses from university administrations and state education officials.
Looking Forward
With academic personnel returning to duty, attention now turns to how the institutions will adjust their academic schedules to recover lost instructional time. Both students and faculty await further updates from university management regarding revised lecture schedules and examination timetables.
Source: Vanguard News
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