ASUU calls on Nigeria’s government to increase funding for public universities to end strikes and improve global rankings. Only ₦50bn of ₦150bn has been released

ASUU funding demand Nigeria universities dominated Friday’s proceedings at the National Assembly, as the Academic Staff Union of Universities urged the Federal Government to drastically improve funding for public universities or risk prolonged instability in the sector.

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Appearing before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, warned that unless the government made deliberate investments in higher education, issues such as frequent strikes and poor global university rankings would remain entrenched.

The two-week warning strike declared by ASUU on October 13, he said, stemmed from unresolved issues dating back over a decade.

“We engaged the Federal Government for eight years without tangible results. The Yayale Ahmed Committee report, submitted in December 2024, was ignored until this industrial action began,” Piwuna told the senators.

The union’s core demands remain unchanged: sustainable funding, revitalisation of public universities, improved working conditions, and protection of academic autonomy.

Calling on the committee to test its resolve, Piwuna said: “Try us. Push government to fund universities adequately and you’ll see the end of strikes and the improvement of our universities in global rankings.”

Although the National Assembly approved ₦150 billion for Nigerian universities, Piwuna revealed that only ₦50 billion has been released—and even that is currently tied up in the Ministry of Education.

ASUU expressed concern that the funds were being redirected to polytechnics and colleges of education despite those institutions having separate budgetary allocations.

The union insisted that the full ₦150 billion should be disbursed exclusively for universities, as approved.

In a separate warning, ASUU raised alarm over what it described as an attempt by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to encroach on land belonging to the University of Abuja.

“We appeal to the Senate to intervene. The university has over 10,000 hectares. If the minister wants land, he should look in the opposite direction,” Piwuna said.

ASUU reiterated that it remains committed to resolving the crisis through dialogue but said real progress could only come through meaningful action.

While the government claims to have addressed most of the union’s demands, the Federal Ministry of Education has reportedly activated a no-work, no-pay policy in response to the strike.

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As the warning strike continues, attention now turns to the Federal Government’s next move—and whether it will heed the Senate’s calls to avoid further disruption in the nation’s tertiary institutions.