The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of neglecting tertiary education through its poor treatment of lecturers in public universities.
The union vowed not to relent in its struggle for improved welfare and working conditions for its members, stressing that adequate funding of public universities is crucial for the future of Nigerian youths.
Chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU, Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, stated this on Thursday while speaking on a radio programme in Ibadan.
ASUU began a two-week warning strike on Monday to protest the government’s failure to sign the renegotiated draft agreement reached with the Yayale Ahmed-led committee, which concluded its work over eight months ago. The agreement, according to the union, was meant to review the conditions of service of academic staff and address issues of university funding.
Afolabi accused the Federal Government of taking ASUU for granted, saying the union was forced into the warning strike due to the government’s delay tactics and disregard for collective bargaining principles.
He explained that despite several protests and sensitisation efforts by ASUU to draw public attention to the issue, the government had instead set up another committee to restart negotiations — a move he described as wasteful and insincere.
“This shows the government is not serious about resolving the welfare and service conditions of lecturers. It is simply a waste of time and resources,” Afolabi said.
The ASUU leader expressed concern over the increasing number of professors and young lecturers resigning from Nigerian universities to seek better opportunities abroad. He noted that the poor remuneration and working conditions have made it difficult to retain or attract qualified academics.
“We don’t work in an ideal environment. How do you reward intellectuals with so little and still expect them to be productive and happy?” Afolabi asked.
He added that many lecturers now struggle to meet basic needs due to rising inflation and poor pay, with some unable to afford transportation to work.
“Lecturers can hardly concentrate due to unmet needs. Professors are resigning in droves, while first-class graduates no longer consider lecturing as a viable career. These developments have grave consequences for the future of higher education in Nigeria,” he warned.
Afolabi maintained that ASUU’s current action was a last resort aimed at compelling the government to honour its commitments and prioritise the education sector.
