— Union Accuses Officials of Treating Education as Non-Priority, Warns of Impending Showdown Over Salary Dispute
The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Chris Piwuna, has accused the Federal Government of failing to prioritize education, saying officials do not regard the sector’s challenges as national concerns demanding collective responsibility.
Speaking during The Toyin Falola Interviews on Sunday, in a virtual dialogue themed “A Conversation with the ASUU President,” Prof. Piwuna said the indifference of top government officials has made sustainable reforms in the education sector almost impossible.
According to him, members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) often treat education-related issues as the sole responsibility of the Minister of Education.
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“When ASUU declares a strike, the Minister of Finance sees it as the Minister of Education’s problem; the Minister of Science and Technology sees it the same way,” Piwuna said.
“If the Minister of Finance understood that the country’s economic growth depends on a knowledgeable workforce, he would treat education problems as his own. The same applies to other ministries.”
Government Indifference and Corruption
The ASUU President further accused the government of allowing ideological differences and corruption to hinder progress in the sector.
“We in ASUU see education as a public good, but those in government treat it as a capitalist venture—only important if it generates profit,” he stated.
Piwuna criticised suggestions that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) should begin supporting private universities, describing such proposals as evidence of self-interest within the political class.
“Even the last Chief of Staff to the President, who never did that while in office, is now a Pro-Chancellor advocating it. Self-interest and contract inflation have replaced public service. That is why TETFund has become a marketplace,” he said.
Recurring Strikes and the 2009 Agreement
ASUU has long relied on strikes to press for its demands, which it says stem from the government’s refusal to honour the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement. Key issues include withheld salaries and deductions, unpaid promotion arrears, and chronic underfunding of public universities.
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Piwuna disclosed that negotiations with the Federal Government were in their final stages at the ongoing ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Taraba State, but warned that the union rejected the current salary proposals.
“The terms of the agreement are shaping up, and in the next week or two, we’ll make a definite statement,” he said. “But what the government is offering us as salaries is unacceptable, and we are ready to go to any length to fight it.”
Poor Welfare and Decline in Academic Standards
The ASUU leader painted a grim picture of the living and working conditions of Nigerian academics, saying the situation has pushed lecturers into “survival mode.”
“Some of our colleagues sleep in their offices with their families because of poor living conditions,” he lamented. “How can such people be expected to attract endowments or drive world-class research? We are still struggling to move out of the 17th century, not the 18th.”
Calls for Holistic Reform
Other panellists echoed similar concerns during the discussion.
Prof. Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan described the crisis as “a failure of leadership, especially within governing councils,” citing poor infrastructure and weak accountability systems across universities.
He urged the government to explore sustainable funding models by engaging universities in research and consultancy services.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, also called for a holistic approach to educational reform, stressing the need to address challenges in primary and secondary education alongside university reforms.
Economist Prof. Sherrifdeen Tella criticized the government’s neglect of research, warning that the disregard for academic research has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s economic stagnation.
