By Ayomide Otitoju
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has renewed its demand for the payment of withheld salaries and the resolution of outstanding welfare issues affecting university lecturers.
The union warned that the Federal Government must urgently address the grievances to promote stability in Nigeria’s public universities.
ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, made the call on Friday while briefing journalists at the union’s secretariat at the University of Jos in Plateau State.
Piwuna said the government must resolve all outstanding academic staff welfare issues and implement matters arising from the December 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria-ASUU Agreement.
According to him, addressing the issues is critical to restoring confidence among university lecturers and creating an environment conducive to effective teaching, research and learning.
The ASUU president also raised concerns about Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges, calling for a shift in government policies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He urged political parties and candidates to prioritise job creation, poverty reduction, education and economic development rather than policies that provide temporary relief without addressing the underlying causes of hardship.
Piwuna criticised what he described as IMF and World Bank-driven “poverty alleviation” policies, arguing that Nigeria should adopt more inclusive programmes tailored to its economic realities.
He called on federal and state governments to prioritise agricultural and industrial production, social protection and other productive sectors capable of creating jobs and reducing economic dependence.
He also urged the government to reduce unnecessary borrowing and explore sustainable alternative sources of financing for development projects that directly benefit Nigerians.
On corruption, Piwuna called for stronger measures to recover stolen public resources, block financial leakages and improve accountability in the management of public funds.
He also advocated a tax system that places a greater burden on wealthy Nigerians to support development and improve living conditions for poorer citizens.
“As an underdeveloped country yearning for rapid development, it’s the rich that must be taxed to give the poor a life worth living,” he said.
ASUU Seeks Education Reform
Piwuna called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s education system to make it more responsive to the country’s socio-economic, cultural, technological and developmental needs.
He said Nigeria should develop an education model suited to its own challenges rather than simply replicate systems designed for other societies.
The ASUU president advocated greater investment in research, technical education, agriculture, innovation and skills development, saying these areas were essential to producing the workforce needed to drive national development.
He added that properly funded research and technical education could help reduce unemployment by equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and creating pathways into productive sectors.
The union also urged the Federal and state governments to address infrastructure and funding challenges in public universities, stressing that sustainable investment was needed to reverse the decline in higher education.
Piwuna said the welfare of academic staff must remain central to reforms in the university system, arguing that lecturers cannot effectively perform their duties while agreed conditions of service remain unresolved.
He maintained that implementing the outstanding provisions of the December 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement would help restore industrial harmony and allow lecturers to focus on teaching, research and community service.
ASUU Urges Voters to Assess Political Programmes
Piwuna said the challenges facing Nigeria’s universities were linked to the broader economic difficulties confronting the country.
He therefore urged governments at the federal, state and local levels to redirect socio-economic policies and projects towards improving the lives of Nigerians.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, ASUU called on citizens to scrutinise the policies and programmes of political parties and candidates, particularly their plans for education, employment, poverty reduction, production and social protection.
The union maintained that Nigeria needs policies capable of expanding productive capacity and reducing dependence rather than measures that only address the symptoms of poverty.
Piwuna said ASUU remained committed to engaging the government and other stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the university system and the wider society.
