The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Chris Piwuna, has accused the Federal Government of neglecting Nigeria’s education sector, saying key officials do not view the challenges in the sector as a collective national concern.

Speaking during The Toyin Falola Interviews on Sunday, in a virtual conversation titled “A Conversation with the ASUU President,” Piwuna lamented that government indifference has made it difficult to achieve meaningful reforms in public universities.

According to him, members of the Federal Executive Council often treat issues affecting education as the sole responsibility of the Minister of Education, rather than a shared obligation of all ministries.

“Members of the government, the ministers, and chief executives do not see the problem of education as a problem that affects them,” Piwuna said. “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. But if the Minister of Finance understood that the country’s economic growth depends on a knowledgeable workforce, he would take the Minister of Education’s problem as his own.”

Piwuna, who decried the persistent underfunding and neglect of universities, said the government’s attitude toward education is worsened by ideological divisions and corruption.

“We in ASUU see education as a public good, but those in government treat it as a capitalist venture — something only important if it generates profit,” he said. “Many of them now suggest that TETFund should begin funding private universities. Even the last Chief of Staff to the President, who never did that while in government, is now a Pro-Chancellor advocating it. Self-interest and contract inflation have replaced public service. That is why TETFund has become a marketplace.”

ASUU has, for years, relied on industrial action to press for the implementation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement and other unresolved issues such as withheld salaries, outstanding promotion arrears, and poor university infrastructure.

The host, historian and scholar Prof. Toyin Falola, gave a historical overview of ASUU’s long-running disputes with the Federal Government, highlighting how recurring strikes have crippled academic calendars for decades.

Other panellists included Prof. Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan; economist Prof. Sherrifdeen Tella; Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero; and journalist Grace Edema of The PUNCH.

Prof. Egbokhare blamed the crisis partly on poor leadership within universities, noting that infrastructural decay and weak accountability have worsened the system. “What is happening is a failure of leadership, especially within governing councils. You look around our universities and see poorly constructed buildings in an era when sustainable design should be standard,” he said.

He argued that beyond funding, universities could attract revenue through research and consultancy if government ministries and agencies patronised them. “If government agencies engage universities for research and consultancy, more resources would circulate within the system,” he added.

NLC President Joe Ajaero urged both ASUU and the government to adopt a holistic approach to address the education crisis. “It has been tough and hard for ASUU leaders. But beyond autonomy, we must also address the state of primary and secondary education,” Ajaero said.

Also speaking, Prof. Sherrifdeen Tella stressed that the nation’s neglect of research has stifled development. “When farmers plant good seeds that yield better harvests, it’s due to research by academics. Unfortunately, the system has neglected research for too long,” he noted.

Providing an update on ASUU’s ongoing National Executive Council meeting in Taraba State, Piwuna said negotiations with the Federal Government were nearing conclusion. “The terms of the agreement are shaping up, and in the next week or two, we’ll make a definite statement. But what the government is offering us as salaries is unacceptable, and we are ready to go to any length to fight it,” he said.

He lamented that the poor welfare of lecturers has driven many into survival mode, making innovation and research nearly impossible. “Some of our colleagues sleep in their offices with their families because of poor living conditions. How can such people be expected to source endowments or drive world-class research? We are still struggling to move out of the 17th century, not the 18th,” Piwuna added.

The ASUU President maintained that until the government begins to view education as a cornerstone of national development rather than a burden, Nigeria’s universities will remain trapped in crisis.

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Chris Piwuna, has accused the Federal Government of neglecting Nigeria’s education sector, saying key officials do not view the challenges in the sector as a collective national concern.

Speaking during The Toyin Falola Interviews on Sunday, in a virtual conversation titled “A Conversation with the ASUU President,” Piwuna lamented that government indifference has made it difficult to achieve meaningful reforms in public universities.

According to him, members of the Federal Executive Council often treat issues affecting education as the sole responsibility of the Minister of Education, rather than a shared obligation of all ministries.

“Members of the government, the ministers, and chief executives do not see the problem of education as a problem that affects them,” Piwuna said. “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. But if the Minister of Finance understood that the country’s economic growth depends on a knowledgeable workforce, he would take the Minister of Education’s problem as his own.”

Piwuna, who decried the persistent underfunding and neglect of universities, said the government’s attitude toward education is worsened by ideological divisions and corruption.

“We in ASUU see education as a public good, but those in government treat it as a capitalist venture — something only important if it generates profit,” he said. “Many of them now suggest that TETFund should begin funding private universities. Even the last Chief of Staff to the President, who never did that while in government, is now a Pro-Chancellor advocating it. Self-interest and contract inflation have replaced public service. That is why TETFund has become a marketplace.”

ASUU has, for years, relied on industrial action to press for the implementation of the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement and other unresolved issues such as withheld salaries, outstanding promotion arrears, and poor university infrastructure.

The host, historian and scholar Prof. Toyin Falola, gave a historical overview of ASUU’s long-running disputes with the Federal Government, highlighting how recurring strikes have crippled academic calendars for decades.

Other panellists included Prof. Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan; economist Prof. Sherrifdeen Tella; Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero; and journalist Grace Edema of The PUNCH.

Prof. Egbokhare blamed the crisis partly on poor leadership within universities, noting that infrastructural decay and weak accountability have worsened the system. “What is happening is a failure of leadership, especially within governing councils. You look around our universities and see poorly constructed buildings in an era when sustainable design should be standard,” he said.

He argued that beyond funding, universities could attract revenue through research and consultancy if government ministries and agencies patronised them. “If government agencies engage universities for research and consultancy, more resources would circulate within the system,” he added.

NLC President Joe Ajaero urged both ASUU and the government to adopt a holistic approach to address the education crisis. “It has been tough and hard for ASUU leaders. But beyond autonomy, we must also address the state of primary and secondary education,” Ajaero said.

Also speaking, Prof. Sherrifdeen Tella stressed that the nation’s neglect of research has stifled development. “When farmers plant good seeds that yield better harvests, it’s due to research by academics. Unfortunately, the system has neglected research for too long,” he noted.

Providing an update on ASUU’s ongoing National Executive Council meeting in Taraba State, Piwuna said negotiations with the Federal Government were nearing conclusion. “The terms of the agreement are shaping up, and in the next week or two, we’ll make a definite statement. But what the government is offering us as salaries is unacceptable, and we are ready to go to any length to fight it,” he said.

He lamented that the poor welfare of lecturers has driven many into survival mode, making innovation and research nearly impossible. “Some of our colleagues sleep in their offices with their families because of poor living conditions. How can such people be expected to source endowments or drive world-class research? We are still struggling to move out of the 17th century, not the 18th,” Piwuna added.

The ASUU President maintained that until the government begins to view education as a cornerstone of national development rather than a burden, Nigeria’s universities will remain trapped in crisis.