The Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council (JCC), Lagos State Axis, Comrade Quadri Odewunmi, has called on the Lagos State Government to immediately engage the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) towards resolving the issues that led to the declaration of an indefinite strike across the state-owned universities.
ASUU’s Joint Campus Group, comprising the branches at Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), declared the strike after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the state government over the implementation and domestication of applicable provisions of the December 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
Reacting to the development, Odewunmi described the situation as deeply concerning to students across Lagos, stressing that the academic calendar must not become a casualty of avoidable disagreements between the government and university lecturers.
“As the Chairman of NANS JCC Lagos, I call on the Lagos State Government to immediately return to the negotiation table with ASUU and work towards resolving the outstanding issues surrounding the implementation and domestication of the applicable 2025 agreement,” he said.
According to him, students have already experienced disruptions to their academic pursuits and cannot afford another prolonged shutdown of the state-owned institutions.
“We recognise the legitimate responsibility of government to manage public resources, and we equally recognise the concerns of our lecturers. However, the classroom must not become the battleground for unresolved agreements. Dialogue, negotiation and sincere commitment remain the responsible path towards resolving this impasse,” Odewunmi stated.
He therefore urged the state government to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves and demonstrate a clear commitment towards resolving the outstanding issues and restoring uninterrupted academic activities.
Odewunmi also appealed to ASUU to remain open to constructive engagement, noting that the interests of students must remain central to every effort aimed at resolving the dispute.
He warned that NANS JCC Lagos would consider further steps if the disruption persists, but stressed that the students’ body prefers consultation and dialogue to confrontation.
“Our preference is not confrontation. Our preference is consultation, dialogue and consolidation. We want peace, but peace must not come at the expense of the future of our students,” he said.
He concluded by appealing to the Lagos State Government to urgently resolve the dispute, protect the academic calendar and prevent students from being subjected to another cycle of prolonged disruption.
“The students of Lagos are watching,” he added.
