While it lasted, the two-week warning strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to press home funding and other demands, was another avoidable disruption. There is not much to gain in the perennial stoppage of academic works, especially of an already weak system. It is time the government and ASUU found more agreeable and saner ways to resolve industrial disputes, without further endangering the learning environment.
What took place was a warning strike, meaning there is more to come if ASUU and the government fail to find a lasting solution to the dispute. Nigerians want them to return to the negotiating table. This time, to table all issues and agree on solutions that will endure, not the piecemeal and ad hoc approach the government appears to be at home with.
The President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, in calling off the strike, announced that the union was giving government a one-month window to conclude renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, release withheld three and a half months’ salaries, settle outstanding 25-35 per cent salary arrears, address over four years of promotion arrears, fund public universities sustainably and end victimisation of lecturers at certain universities.
As a country, Nigeria is not doing well in the management and utilisation of its tertiary institutions. Global visibility for Nigerian universities is still a challenge, with our institutions not among the world’s first 500. In the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos both ranked among the world’s top 1,000 universities. Though commendable, this is a far cry from where Nigeria wants to be. In Africa, the University of Ibadan is ranked 10th, but it could have ranked much better. University teachers should show greater concern about the international perception of their universities’ standards.
To gain global visibility, the country’s institutions of higher learning must do something about how they conduct teaching; the low ratio of teaching staff and students, as well as making the learning environment conducive. Universities must pay attention to the research environment, research quality and how industry benefits from research. How do research findings translate to solving problems of the larger society? These challenges should draw the attention of teachers, as an integral part of the system, beyond personal remuneration.
It is unrealistic to expect the government to meet all the needs of universities or teachers. While the government must be put on its toes to perform better, honour agreements and stop wastage in public expenditure, the Nigerian universities must cultivate an international outlook and employ best practices.
At the heart of the perennial crisis in the university system is funding. Over the years, universities have grappled with inadequate funding. Obviously, the government is itself constrained by low productivity, low revenues and misplaced priorities. The entire education budget for 2025 is N3.52 trillion (7 per cent of the total budget), with an expenditure focus on infrastructure, teacher development and expansion of access to accommodate out-of-school children. The budget falls below UNESCO’s funding recommendation of between 15-20 per cent of countries’ budgetary expenditures.
This yearly funding shortfall diminishes the quality of learning, research and ability to retain quality staff. It also results in crowded classrooms due to infrastructure challenges, underpaid teachers and unfulfilled agreements on the part of the government.
Due to prevailing poverty in the country, public universities are equally constrained to charge premium fees for services outside tuition. The government should reprioritise education as the most essential sector that is responsible for preparing the country for the future. Without quality education, Nigeria cannot compete with others in science and technology. The way to prepare the future generation for the challenges ahead is to invest in quality education. The cost of governance is unduly high and the government must find ways to cut waste and appropriate more resources to fund education. Corruption is the drainpipe that denies education and other sectors adequate funding.
Both the government and ASUU should not abandon negotiation on how to make universities work better. Nigerians need universities they can be proud of; institutions that can translate academic theses into tools of problem-solving. Problems in this sector need to be faced squarely for resolution, and not traded behind the never-ending quest for improved welfare.
The government and ASUU must take advantage of continuous dialogue to avoid further breakdown in communication. The Yayale Ahmed Negotiating Committee should not spare efforts to resolve the crisis between the government and unions in tertiary institutions. The committee must be forthright in addressing the challenges and apportioning blame where necessary. Beyond that, it should propose realistic and visionary solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
The Ministry of Education must accord ASUU due regard and carry them along in its reforms. The Ministry alone cannot formulate reforms without the input of the Union. The Union is a permanent stakeholder in the system while ministers come and go.
It is commendable that the federal government has approved mainstreaming the contentious Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) into university staff salaries beginning from 2026, to ensure prompt and sustainable payments. The government should not renege on all promises. University teachers deserve enhanced salaries and conditions of service in line with global standards.
On the part of ASUU, it is time to reinvent how disagreements with their employers are handled. Strikes only compound issues; they don’t resolve them, particularly for a sensitive sector where students and parents are also stakeholders.
