Amanze ChinonyeNigeria’s university system may once again be plunged into crisis as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF) loan scheme and warned of an imminent nationwide strike.
Speaking at a press conference at the University of Jos on Thursday, ASUU President, Professor Christopher Piwuna, accused the government of failing to honor long-standing agreements on revitalizing and properly funding the nation’s public universities.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHe noted that lecturers have endured over two years of broken promises and delay tactics, with the government showing little commitment to addressing the union’s grievances.
Among the unresolved issues, Piwuna listed the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, payment of outstanding salary arrears, withheld promotions, and improved welfare for retired lecturers. He stressed that while the government continues to push the TISSF loan scheme, lecturers are still being owed salaries.
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“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,” he said.
ASUU also criticized the proliferation of universities without adequate funding, warning that this has lowered standards and eroded Nigeria’s global academic rankings. On pensions, the union decried the plight of retired professors, some of whom earn as little as ₦150,000 monthly despite decades of service and the rising cost of living.
The union insists it has repeatedly written to the government, appealing for dialogue to resolve these issues amicably, but those letters have gone unanswered. “As always, it is the FGN that has consistently pushed our union to embark on a strike action, and it is clear that ASUU may have no other option,” Piwuna said.
ASUU has scheduled rallies across campuses next week to highlight its frustrations, while awaiting the outcome of a government meeting slated for August 28.
The warning has sparked fears of yet another strike that could disrupt academic calendars across public universities, leaving students stranded and further deepening the instability in Nigeria’s education system.
For many Nigerians, the standoff underscores the recurring cycle of underfunding, policy missteps, and mistrust that continues to plague higher education. If unresolved, this looming strike could derail ongoing academic sessions, delay graduations, and compound the brain drain as students and lecturers alike seek more stable alternatives abroad.
The government’s next move will be pivotal in determining whether universities remain open or shut down once again, prolonging a crisis that has become all too familiar in Nigeria’s fragile education sector.
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