The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has appealed to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, to convey the worsening economic conditions facing Nigerians to members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
ASUU president, Chris Piwuna, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at the unveiling of the 2025 agreement between the federal government and the union.
Piwuna said although there have been signs of improvement in some areas, many Nigerians are still grappling with harsh economic realities, including rising living costs and transportation challenges.
“When you go to the next Federal Executive Council meeting, please tell your colleagues that the economic situation in this country is still hard, that meals are hard to come by, that transportation is still a challenge, and families are struggling to keep body and soul together,” he said.
He, however, commended security agencies for what he described as improved performance in tackling insecurity across the country.
“Tell those in charge of security that we have noticed that they are up and doing. We support them and we want them to do better,” the ASUU president added.
Piwuna also disclosed that the union plans to engage the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms, led by Taiwo Oyedele, to better understand and contribute to ongoing tax reforms.
He said ASUU would be inviting Oyedele to its next national executive council (NEC) meeting scheduled to hold in Abuja.
“We believe we have a few ideas to share with him on how he can do his work better. We want to ask questions and understand what these reforms are all about,” he said.
The 2025 agreement unveiled at the event followed a renegotiation process that began in 2017 to review the 2009 federal government–ASUU agreement.
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The renegotiation gained momentum under the current administration with the inauguration of a Yayale Ahmed-led committee in October 2024.
According to ASUU, the agreement addresses improved conditions of service, funding, university autonomy, academic freedom, and broader reforms aimed at halting the decline in the university system, reducing brain drain, and repositioning public universities for national development.
At the same event, Piwuna 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.
The ASUU president called on vice-chancellors of affected institutions to urgently review such promotions to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s university system.
