President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Chris Piwuna, has criticized the Federal Government for what he described as its persistent indifference to the plight of the union and the deteriorating state of public universities in Nigeria.
Speaking during The Toyin Falola Virtual Engagement series, themed “A Conversation with the ASUU President,” Piwuna lamented that political leaders have become more preoccupied with personal interests than with the development of education, which he described as the bedrock of national progress.
He accused successive governments of failing to understand the centrality of education to national development, saying that leaders often treat it as a non-profitable venture.
“They do not see ASUU’s problems as theirs,” Piwuna said. “The Minister of Agriculture or Science, Technology and Innovation would see our issues as something only the Minister of Education should worry about. Ideologically, we don’t meet.”
The ASUU president also expressed disappointment over the management of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), alleging that it had become a “marketplace for inflated contracts,” to the detriment of the universities it was meant to support.
He further criticized the Federal Government’s proposed solarisation of 18 universities across the country, noting that although the contract was awarded over five months ago, there had been no visible progress on any of the sites.
Using his own institution as an example, Piwuna revealed that it still lacks basic internet connectivity — a situation he said hampers research visibility and limits international collaboration.
“Because of our poor conditions of service, we cannot attract scholars of repute,” he said. “We are also talking about autonomy and academic freedom. Why is the government afraid?”
Piwuna noted that ASUU had been in negotiations for over 15 years seeking a fair and sustainable agreement to secure the future of Nigerian universities, but lamented that such efforts were repeatedly ignored by the authorities.
“When we go on strike, it means nothing to them,” he said. “Many parents, out of frustration, misunderstand our struggle because their children are delayed in school. But there is no sincerity whenever government comes to the table to discuss.”
Reacting to allegations of corruption within the union, Piwuna dismissed such claims, asserting that ASUU has a record of exposing fraud and irregularities in the system. “ASUU has at various times exposed sharp practices during accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Personally, I have returned money sent to me for accreditation,” he disclosed.
Also speaking at the forum, Professor of Economics and former Vice-Chancellor of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Sherifideen Tella, noted that government remains unappreciative of ASUU’s sacrifices, despite the fact that many lecturers personally fund their own research.
“The task before ASUU is enormous because the public hardly sees the union’s contribution to Nigeria’s development,” Tella stated.
Professor of Linguistics at the University of Ibadan, Francis Egbokhare, also observed that the same challenges have persisted across administrations. He urged the union to promote broader dialogue that would drive reform in university leadership and the education sector as a whole.
“We must come together as stakeholders to solve these problems so that our universities can become competitive and effectively managed,” he said.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, in his remarks, advised ASUU to consider unionising staff of private universities and strengthening alliances with other education-based unions.
“We need to do certain things differently if we are to achieve meaningful results,” Ajaero said, calling for a holistic review of Nigeria’s education system beyond the question of university autonomy.