Adequate funding of public universities only way to curb endless strikes-ASUU

Omodele Adigun

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has recommended adequate funding of the public universities by the Federal Government as the  only panacea to curb endless strikes at the tertiary institutions.

Its president , Professor Chris Piwuna, who stated this  on Friday while speaking before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund at the National Assembly,said to substantially boost funding for public universities,  adequate investment in education is crucial to resolving recurring industrial actions and enhancing Nigeria’s global university rankings.

Piwuna, , explained that , without consistent and adequate funding, the challenges facing higher education in the country would persist, adding 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,” Piwuna said.

ASUU is holding firm to its core demands, which include sustainable funding for public universities, improved conditions of service for lecturers, revitalization of university infrastructure, and greater academic autonomy. Despite ongoing discussions with the Federal Government, ASUU insists that these issues must be addressed to restore stability in the nation’s university system.

The union also 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 revealed that although the National Assembly approved ₦150 billion for universities, only ₦50 billion had been released so far.

Even that amount, he noted, 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.

Meanwhile, ASUU raised the alarm over attempts by the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to allegedly tamper with a portion of the 10,000 hectares of land belonging to the University of Abuja.

It said, “We are worried because the University of Abuja is located in the FCT. Anyone serious about higher education should be focused on developing it.

“If the minister wants land, he should look in the opposite direction. “The university has over 10,000 hectares of land. Despite repeated calls, the FCT minister continues to show interest in acquiring part of it.

“We appeal to the Senate to intervene and prevail on the minister to leave the university land alone.”