The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the federal government to adopt a progressive tax system, recover stolen public funds and block revenue leakages as part of measures to address poverty and inequality in Nigeria.

The union also urged the government to reduce unnecessary borrowing, prioritise domestic agricultural and industrial production, and tackle structural unemployment.

ASUU National President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, stated this in an interview while assessing the state of the nation.

He warned that Nigeria’s political class remains a major threat to national security.

Piwuna said growing political bitterness, political thuggery and a “winner-takes-all” mentality ahead of the 2027 general elections could worsen the country’s security challenges.

According to him, the increasing political tension has compounded existing security problems, which have extended to educational and religious institutions.

He criticised the renewed debate over the establishment of state police, describing it as an issue being presented as a solution to Nigeria’s security challenges, even as the political class continues to be a major source of division.

The ASUU president also expressed concerns over alleged corruption in public procurement, questionable contract awards and the failure to prioritise critical infrastructure.

He specifically challenged recent claims by the Rural Electrification Agency that solar farms had been successfully connected to 15 Nigerian universities.

He disclosed that feedback from ASUU branches in some of the affected universities indicated that the projects were either non-functional or had experienced repeated breakdowns.

He cited the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, saying installations at the institutions were not functioning.

He added that the installation at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), had suffered repeated breakdowns, while the project at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), was executed by the World Bank, rather than local agencies.

Piwuna said the alleged disconnect between government claims and citizens’ experiences had contributed to growing mistrust between the governed and those in power.

“No country can experience people-oriented development without an appreciable trust quotient,” he said.

He warned that governance would remain unsustainable if citizens continue to live in fear of those in authority.

On education, the ASUU chief expressed concerns over the declining real value of government allocations to the sector, lamenting that funding has remained inadequate to meet the growing educational needs.

Specifically, Piwuna noted that prolonged underfunding had affected research, classroom infrastructure and human capital development.

He called for a comprehensive reform of the sector, with greater emphasis on local technological, cultural and skills-based needs.

He also urged the Federal and state governments to address outstanding welfare issues affecting university lecturers and to implement the commitments set out in the December 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.

He said resolving outstanding issues is necessary to enable public universities to contribute more effectively to national development.

The union leader also linked the rising cost of healthcare, energy and agricultural inputs to the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.

He argued that the situation had made basic necessities increasingly unaffordable for many citizens.

With the 2027 elections approaching, ASUU called for a fundamental review of Nigeria’s economic policies, urging the government to move away from foreign-driven, limited poverty-alleviation measures.

He advocated inclusive programmes aimed at reducing structural unemployment and inequality, while calling for the recovery of public resources lost to corruption, stronger accountability mechanisms, and a progressive tax system that would require wealthier Nigerians to contribute proportionately to social development.