In a decisive move to ensure academic stability, the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has officially declared it is not part of any ongoing strike action and has instructed its members to continue their academic and administrative duties without interruption.
The clarification came in response to circulating social media reports suggesting the union’s involvement in industrial action being embarked on by its sister body, ASUU.
In a statement signed by its National President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA categorically dismissed these claims.
“CONUA wishes to categorically clarify that it has not declared any strike action and is not part of any ongoing strike,” Dr. Sunmonu stated. He reaffirmed the union’s core principle of maintaining academic stability, emphasizing a commitment to “promoting excellence and ensuring the smooth running of the university system through constructive dialogue and peaceful engagement with the government and other stakeholders.”
The union president directly urged its membership to uphold their professional responsibilities. “We call on all CONUA members to continue performing their academic and administrative duties diligently, report to work, engage with students, and discharge their professional responsibilities as expected,” the statement read.
Dr. Sunmonu provided critical context for the decision, revealing that the union’s initial exclusion from the government’s renegotiation committee had been a point of contention, but has since been resolved. “When the renegotiation committee of the 2009 Agreement was inaugurated in October 2024, CONUA was conspicuously and deliberately omitted. The Union formally protested this exclusion,” he explained.
This protest culminated in a meeting with the Honourable Minister of Education in September 2025, where the Minister assured CONUA that the committee would be expanded to include all academic unions. “We are pleased to note that the Ministry of Education has recently expanded the committee, fulfilling that promise,” Sunmonu confirmed.
With this key demand met, the union leadership sees no justification for a work stoppage. “Until CONUA is formally brought to the table and any of the issues it has presented to the Federal Government becomes subjects of dispute, there is no foundation whatsoever for any strike action by CONUA,” the statement asserted.
The national leadership also appealed to Vice-Chancellors to ensure the safety of its members performing their legitimate duties and encouraged students to remain focused on their studies, assuring them of the union’s “commitment to quality education, national development, and peaceful industrial relations.”
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