Welcome to today’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, accompanied by our advocacy-focused calls for government action on pressing issues that impact citizens.

1. Punch: Strike: National Assembly wades into ASUU, FG dispute

The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to urgently return to the negotiating table to resolve the ongoing dispute that led to the declaration of a two-week warning strike by the union.

ASUU had on Monday began a two-week warning strike over the federal government’s alleged failure to address long-standing issues, including the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, revitalisation funding, earned academic allowances, salary structure, and university autonomy.

Our Take: It’s high time the Federal Government and ASUU stopped treating negotiations like an occasional family reunion and finally signed the peace accord the education sector deserves. The National Assembly should do more than ‘urge’, it should insist that the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and ASUU leaders lock themselves in a room (with Wi-Fi and water, at least) until a lasting agreement is reached. Nigeria’s students have spent more time at home than in lecture halls, and at this rate, ‘strike management’ might soon qualify as a university course.

2. Vanguard: Illegal Financial Outflows Worsening Nigeria’s Revenue Problem–IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has decried Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) out of Nigeria, noting that it was contributing to the worsening revenue problem of the country.

Our Take: It is time for Nigeria to stop behaving like a country with a sieve for a treasury. If billions can sneak out through mysterious ‘financial flows’, then surely the federal government, led by President Bola Tinubu, along with the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, the Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) can trace them back with equal zeal. The National Assembly should also wake up from its legislative slumber and tighten oversight on public finance. After all, if the IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva can spot the leaks from Washington, Abuja has no excuse not to bring out its binoculars too.

3. The Guardian: APC Consolidates Power as Mbah Ends PDP’s 26-Year Reign in Enugu

The Guardian reports that Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in a move that has redrawn Nigeria’s political map.

Our Take: Governor Peter Mbah’s defection may have made headlines and excited the broom carriers, but Enugu citizens are still waiting for something more meaningful than a change of party colours. Whether it’s APC or PDP, what truly matters is clean water in taps, jobs for young people, and roads that don’t resemble obstacle courses. So while politicians celebrate another round of musical chairs, citizens should demand that this dance ends with someone paying attention to their needs, because hunger doesn’t check party membership before knocking.