Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected federal government’s proposed loan scheme for tertiary institution staff.
Gatekeepers News reports that the union asked that the resources should rather be directed toward settling outstanding salaries and revitalising public universities.
At a conference in Jos, ASUU president Christopher Piwuna outlined the union’s demands, including the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, improved funding for universities, and better retirement benefits for senior academics. He cautioned that a nationwide strike may follow if these issues remain unresolved.
The union criticised the recently introduced Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, describing it as a policy that would worsen lecturers’ debt burdens rather than alleviate them.
It also expressed concern over the continued licensing of private universities, despite the federal government’s moratorium on new public tertiary institutions.
ASUU argued that the proliferation of “mushroom universities” undermines quality and erodes the global standing of Nigerian institutions.
The union maintained that Nigeria’s 339 universities comprising federal, state, and private institutions are sufficient and called for a moratorium on both public and private universities to ensure quality over quantity.
It further noted that the poor pension structure for professors and senior staff remains a pressing concern, with many retired academics earning as little as N150,000 monthly after decades of service.
ASUU’s national executive council resolved to await the outcome of a scheduled meeting with government officials on August 28 before determining its next course of action.
