The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the disbursement of ₦50 billion to academic and non-academic unions in federal universities for the settlement of long-standing earned allowances, in a major move aimed at averting further disruptions in the nation’s tertiary education sector.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, made the announcement on Wednesday via a statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo. He described the disbursement as part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader commitment to revitalising Nigeria’s education sector and fulfilling promises made to the unions.

“This intervention is not just a financial transaction—it is a reaffirmation of our president’s belief in the capacity of Nigerian youth and the invaluable role that academic and non-academic staff play in nurturing them,” Alausa said.

The minister emphasized that the release of funds is more than a budgetary allocation—it is a step towards ending the cycle of strikes that have repeatedly disrupted academic calendars across Nigerian universities.

“Keeping our children in school is not negotiable. It is my commitment that strikes in our institutions will soon become a thing of the past,” he added.

According to the ministry’s statement, the disbursement aligns with the Tinubu administration’s ambition to transform Nigeria into a knowledge-based economy by investing strategically in education, infrastructure, and human capital.

The announcement comes as a significant relief to university staff unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), who have long agitated for the payment of outstanding allowances and better working conditions.