The Federal Government says it has entered the final phase of negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other tertiary education unions to resolve lingering issues and prevent another round of strikes.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday during a meeting of the Technical Working Group on Conditions of Service of ASUU.

Alausa said the ongoing talks aim to reach a lasting solution to disputes that have frequently disrupted Nigeria’s university calendar.

According to him, the Technical Working Group is finalising a counter-offer to be presented to the unions through the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Negotiations Committee in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that Nigerian students must remain in school.

“The President has made it clear that our children must remain in school. The technical working group is working to finalise a component of the condition of service that has to be proposed. They are working to finalise a counter-offer to them.

Hopefully by the end of today, or latest tomorrow, the Allied General United Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expected Negotiations Committee will receive that counter-offer to ASUU.”