FG Moves to End Delays in Four-Year Degree Programmes

The Federal Government has reiterated its determination to ensure that students complete four-year degree programmes within the expected timeframe. It also announced plans to strengthen the monitoring of agreements reached with academic and non-academic staff unions in tertiary institutions.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at the presentation of the 2026 agreements between the Federal Government and unions in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

According to Alausa, the agreements are part of efforts to fulfil President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise of ensuring that students complete four-year programmes within four years, without unnecessary delays arising from industrial disputes.

He explained that repeated disagreements between the government and unions over the implementation of previous agreements had affected academic calendars and extended the duration of students’ studies.

To prevent further disruptions, the minister revealed plans to broaden the scope of the existing Implementation and Monitoring Committee, which was originally established to supervise the agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities. The expanded committee will cover both academic and non-academic unions across tertiary institutions.

Alausa stated that the committee would track the implementation of agreements, evaluate progress, identify challenges and promote accountability through regular reports.

He added that the government planned to establish the committee as a permanent structure to enable the early detection and resolution of disputes before they develop into industrial actions.

The minister also called on union leaders to present their grievances through the committee, emphasising the importance of dialogue, mutual respect and constructive engagement in preventing interruptions to academic activities.

He further explained that the agreements included a provision for reviews every three years, allowing both parties to address new concerns and introduce adjustments based on mutual agreement.

Meanwhile, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Shammah Kpanja, described the negotiation process as the fastest in the union’s history. He disclosed that negotiations commenced in December 2025 and culminated in the signing of the agreement in April 2026.

Kpanja noted that implementation had already begun, with members receiving outstanding arrears between July and September. However, he urged the government to ensure that every other provision of the agreement was fully implemented.

In the same vein, the President of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, Lawal Bazza, revealed that over 70 per cent of the agreement covering the subsector had been implemented.

Bazza expressed confidence that the proposed joint implementation committee would facilitate the resolution of outstanding issues and speed up the implementation of the remaining provisions.

ABUREPORT