The Federal Government has commenced the payment of the withheld salaries of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The chairperson of ASUU at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Gbolahan Bolarin, confirmed the development of the payment.

President Bola Tinubu Tinubu had in October 2023 approved the release of four of the eight months’ ASUU withheld workers’ salaries.

The salaries were withheld when the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against some university-based unions that embarked on a strike that lasted eight months in 2022.

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, recently said the government has increased the university workers’ salaries by 35%.

The minister added that by removing universities from the Integrated Payment and Payroll Information System, the government has given them autonomy.

He also mentioned that recruiting and filling positions at universities no longer require a waiver.

“These resolutions were reached through informal consultations with the unions based in the tertiary institutions”, Mamman said.