The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s proposed tertiary institutions staff support fund loan scheme, describing it as a “trap” for lecturers.
ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, speaking at a press conference at the University of Jos on Thursday, said what lecturers need is not loans but the implementation of long-standing agreements aimed at revitalising and properly funding Nigeria’s public universities.
“Our members do not need loans. What we need is the implementation of agreements that will improve our purchasing power. Government is still owing us three months’ salaries, yet they are asking us to borrow money,” Piwuna stated.
He accused the government of failing to honour commitments on critical issues, including the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, payment of withheld salaries and promotion arrears, and the welfare of retired lecturers.
The union also raised concerns about the proliferation of universities without sustainable funding, warning that the trend has contributed to declining standards and poor global rankings. On pensions, it lamented that professors who had served for over four decades now earn as little as ₦150,000 monthly, despite soaring living costs.
Piwuna cautioned that unless the government takes urgent steps to resolve the crisis, ASUU may be forced into another nationwide strike. He revealed that rallies will be staged across campuses next week to demonstrate lecturers’ frustrations, ahead of a crucial government meeting scheduled for August 28.
“Time is running out. We cannot continue to wait endlessly while the future of Nigerian universities is destroyed,” he warned.
Nigeria’s education system faces fresh uncertainty as fears mount over another round of industrial action. In 2022, ASUU embarked on an eight-month strike, the second-longest in its history, after a nine-month stoppage in 2020 at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
