The strike will enter its seventh month on Wednesday, September 14.
The labour and employment minister, Dr Chris Ngige has directed the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to order striking university lecturers to resume work.
Public university lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have embarked on strike since February 14, grounding academic activities in universities.
The strike will enter its seventh month on Wednesday, September 14.
Court documents dated September 7, 2022, and signed by Ngige however revealed that the minister ordered the industrial court to direct ASUU to resume work in universities where some issues he listed were being addressed.
The document reads, "Funding for recapitalisation of the public universities as per 2009 Agreement; Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) payments;
State universities proliferation;
Constitution of visitation panels/release of White Paper on report of visitation panels; Reconstitution of government renegotiation team for the renegotiation of 2009 Agreement which was renegotiated 2013/2014 and due for renegotiation by 2018/2019.
"The migration of ASUU members from IPPIS to University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) developed by ASUU which is currently on test at Nig Tech Development Agency (NITDA)
"Issue order for ASUU members to resume work in the various universities where the issues in dispute are being addressed by NICN (National Industrial Court of in consonance with the provisions of Section 18(I)(b) of the Trade Disputes Act. CSP. T8. LFN 2004."
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the demands of the striking lecturers include the payment of earned allowances, payment of revitalisation funds to universities, creation of visitation panels and implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System for the payment of workers in the ivory towers.
However, after so many failed negotiations with the Nigerian government, ASUU, after its last National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, announced that it had decided to declare “a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike”.
