Professor Chris Piwuna has been elected as the new President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), signaling a new chapter for Nigeria’s most prominent academic union. The keenly contested election took place on Sunday during the 23rd National Delegates Congress held in Benin City, Edo State.
Professor Piwuna, a renowned consultant psychiatrist and Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Jos, clinched victory over his closest rival, Professor Adamu Babayo of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. His emergence has generated significant buzz across academic and student communities nationwide, with many anticipating fresh direction under his leadership.
Piwuna succeeds Professor Victor Osodeke, a soil science scholar from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, whose tenure was marked by intense nationwide strikes and prolonged negotiations with the federal government over improved funding and welfare for university lecturers.
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As the new face of ASUU, Professor Piwuna is expected to bring his wealth of experience and student-centered focus to the fore, particularly as Nigerian universities continue to grapple with underfunding, brain drain, and deteriorating infrastructure. Stakeholders across the education sector are already watching closely, as this leadership transition could shape the future of public university education in the country.
With ASUU playing a critical role in the fight for academic reforms and lecturer welfare, all eyes are now on Professor Piwuna to steer the union toward impactful negotiations and sustainable academic stability.
