ASUU crisis: Why Minister of Education must find final solution
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has once again sounded the alarm over a looming nationwide strike across government-owned universities. In a statement signed by its National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, the union lamented the persistent neglect, broken promises, and chronic underfunding of Nigeria’s public universities. These grievances are not new – they are […]
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has once again sounded the alarm over a looming nationwide strike across government-owned universities. In a statement signed by its National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, the union lamented the persistent neglect, broken promises, and chronic underfunding of Nigeria’s public universities. These grievances are not new – they are part of a familiar cycle of unfulfilled agreements, frustrated lecturers, dilapidated infrastructure, and the slow erosion of Nigeria’s intellectual capital. While the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, recently declared that strikes “will never again happen” because of government’s commitment to dialogue, the reality on campuses tells a different story. Lecturers are demoralised, teaching “on empty stomachs,” conducting research in under-equipped laboratories, and struggling to meet basic living expenses. This is not merely a labour dispute — it is a structural crisis that threatens the very foundation of Nigeria’s development.
Let me share one vivid example of the crisis. Last week, I visited the Faculty of Engineering of a well-known second-generation university in northern Nigeria. Its civil engineering laboratory lacks essential teaching and learning equipment required for desired learning outcomes – such as the ability to design a concrete slab or measure the basic parameters of a plot of land for structural projects. Some of the available equipment dates back to the 1970s, when the faculty was established. The department must continue using them because modern tools are not available. To make matters worse, heavy rainfall the previous night had left the laboratory roof leaking profusely. The environment was not only unhealthy for humans but also detrimental to electronic and other appliances. There was no evidence of a dedicated section for lecturers to conduct research. When I asked both teaching and non-teaching staff to recall the last time they received training to improve their capacity to impart relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes to students, they took the question as a joke. This is just one example.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set ambitious economic, security, and governance targets. But without a strong human capital base, these targets will remain wishful thinking. Economic diversification, technological innovation, and global competitiveness all depend on a robust education system producing skilled, adaptable, and research-oriented graduates. A nation’s universities are its engines of development. When lecturers are poorly motivated and research is starved of funding, the result is predictable — graduates lacking the critical-thinking, technical proficiency, and innovative mindset required in today’s economy. Nigeria cannot hope to compete globally while its academic workforce is trapped in cycles of neglect and industrial action.
It is indeed refreshing that the Minister of Education declared that strikes “will never again happen.” This is commendable. But the devil is in the details. ASUU’s plea is very simple: chronic underfunding and lack of institutional support continue to cripple Nigeria’s public universities. Under the current situation, it is impossible to prepare graduates who can meet the expectations of the 21st-century society. Last July, I attended a function at the Federal Ministry of Education, where the Minister addressed the issue of multiple accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and several professional bodies. He appeared serious and sincere about the state of education in the country. Therefore, I believe his courageous declaration to end the ASUU crisis is visionary. But to succeed, he must learn from other countries and provide clear, actionable details. Several countries once plagued by similar challenges Nigeria is facing today, have managed to reform their university systems sustainably. Let me cite three examples. In 1990s, Malaysia was faced with brain drain of lecturers and other university workers. The government overhauled academic remuneration, invested heavily in research infrastructure, and forged strong university-industry linkages. Today, universities like Universiti Malaya rank among the top in Asia and contribute directly to national economic strategies. After years of disputes with university unions, Ghana’s government established a body to manage university funding and conditions of service. This reduced the frequency of strikes and allowed for predictable budgetary support. And, South Korea did something that Nigeria urgently needs to adopt. Recognising that post-war recovery depended on education, South Korea consistently invested more than four per cent of GDP in higher education. Today, its universities are global hubs for technology and innovation, fueling the country’s export-driven economy. After many years of crisis, the Minister of Education must put clear plan for recovery to prosperity in Nigeria.
These examples show that the ASUU crisis is not insurmountable — but it requires deliberate, structural solutions, not temporary fixes. Based on the example above and lessons from other countries, if Nigeria is to break free from the destructive strike cycles, the following steps are crucial: (i) Permanent Renegotiation Framework – Establish an independent, legally backed university funding and labour relations commission to oversee agreements, ensuring they are binding, time-bound, and insulated from political delays. (ii) Stable, Indexed Funding – Peg university funding and academic remuneration to a predictable percentage of national revenue or GDP, adjusted annually for inflation and economic realities. (iii) Performance-Linked Incentives – Tie part of academic funding to measurable outputs in research, innovation, and graduate employability, as done in Singapore and Finland.
The current intervention and funding policy of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund) must be reviewed and optimised. (iv) University Autonomy – Strengthen institutional autonomy in budgeting, recruitment, and partnerships, while holding universities accountable for transparent governance, learning outcomes based on national examinations and employability of graduates. (v) Industry Integration – Incentivise public-private partnerships in research and innovation, reducing overdependence on government subventions.
If President Tinubu and the Minister of Education allow this crisis to escalate into another strike, the consequences will ripple far beyond university gates. The economy will suffer as final-year projects stall, professional sectors lose fresh graduates, and Nigeria’s global reputation as an educational destination declines further.
The youth — who make up the bulk of the population — will grow increasingly disillusioned, accelerating the country’s brain drain. Nigeria’s most important asset is its large population, estimated at 234.5 million. With over 70 per cent under the age of 30, education is the most relevant tool for transforming this demographic into a driver of national development. In about 25 years, the population is projected to reach 401.3 million. This makes ASUU’s plea both urgent and relevant.
As the futurist H. G. Wells aptly put it, “Civilization is in a race between education and catastrophe.” Tinubu’s vision of a renewed, prosperous Nigeria cannot materialise without a motivated and well-resourced academic workforce. The ASUU crisis is not merely about salaries — it is about safeguarding the country’s future.
The choice before the Minister of Education, and indeed the federal government, is clear: address this crisis with bold, sustainable solutions now, or watch Nigeria’s development agenda falter under the weight of an underprepared workforce.