The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urge the Federal Government to improve funding for public universities.

It advised that sustainable investment in education remained the only path to ending strikes and raising the global ranking of Nigerian universities.

The union made its intention clear when it appeared before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund at the National Assembly on Friday.

Chris Piwuna, the ASUU President, who spoke on behalf of the union, said that the ongoing two-week warning strike resulted from longstanding issues that dated as far back as 2011.

“We engaged the Federal Government for eight years without tangible results.

“The Yayale Ahmed Committee report, submitted in December 2024, was ignored until this industrial action began,” Professor Piwuna outlined.

According to him, the key demands of ASUU, including sustainable funding, improved conditions of service, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy, remain unchanged.

In addition, the union challenged the Senate committee to push the government to increase funding.

“Try us. Push government to fund universities adequately and you’ll see the end of strikes and the improvement of our universities in global rankings,” the ASUU president told the senators.

On funding delays, Piwuna disclosed that although the National Assembly approved ₦150 billion for universities, only ₦50 billion had been released so far.

Even that amount, he said remains stuck at the Ministry of Education, where the minister allegedly intends to share it among universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, despite separate allocations for those institutions.

He cautioned that the ₦150 billion approved specifically for universities must be used for the intended purpose.