The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Chris Piwuna, has urged the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, to convey the prevailing economic hardship facing Nigerians to members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Piwuna made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja at the unveiling of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU, where he painted a grim picture of the economic realities confronting ordinary citizens.
He said issues such as the rising cost of food, transportation challenges and the general struggle of families to make ends meet should be clearly communicated to the cabinet.
The ASUU president, however, acknowledged improvements in the country’s security situation, commending security agencies for what he described as renewed commitment to tackling insecurity. He said the union had noticed the efforts and encouraged the agencies to do more.
Piwuna also announced that ASUU had extended an invitation to the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Dr Taiwo Oyedele, to attend its next National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
According to him, the union believes it has useful ideas to contribute to the ongoing tax reform process and wants to engage directly with the committee to better understand the reforms and offer constructive input.
The 2025 agreement unveiled at the event marked the conclusion of a renegotiation process that began in 2017 to review the 2009 Federal Government–ASUU agreement. The breakthrough followed the inauguration of the Yayale Ahmed-led renegotiation committee by the current administration in October 2024.
The agreement focuses on improved conditions of service, funding, university autonomy and academic freedom, as well as broader reforms aimed at reversing decay in the university system, curbing brain drain and repositioning institutions for national development.
At the same event, the ASUU president raised concerns over alleged mismanagement of funds and weak governance structures in some universities, warning that such lapses were undermining accountability, stability and academic standards.
He also criticised promotion practices in some newly established federal universities of education, alleging that due process and established standards for professorial appointments were being compromised.
Piwuna called on vice-chancellors of the affected institutions to urgently review such promotions in order to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s university system.
