ASUU Accuses FG of Violating Own Policy, Demands End to Proliferation of Universities to Halt Decline in Academic Quality

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Akure Zone, today, Friday, November 14, 2025, issued a strongly worded statement urging the Federal Government to halt the continued establishment of new universities and instead prioritize the rehabilitation and adequate funding of existing ones.

Addressing journalists at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) campus, the ASUU Akure Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Adeola Egbedokun, lambasted the government for engaging in inconsistent policies, particularly the recent approval of new institutions despite officially placing a seven-year moratorium on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

“One of the agitations of our union is this issue of proliferation of universities… we were coming from the point of view that rather than proliferate, why not take care of the existing ones?” Prof. Egbedokun queried. “It was agreed that for seven years, no license will be granted… but we all saw what happened a few days ago when we heard that a new university was granted a license. The government of Nigeria should live up to its words.”

The academic leader argued that most newly established universities lack the required facilities, qualified academic staff, and standard lecture rooms, labeling them as little more than “crises centres” that admit students into overcrowded, poorly equipped campuses.

Ultimatum on Salary and Arrears

Furthermore, ASUU used the briefing to issue a fresh warning to the government regarding its outstanding demands. Prof. Egbedokun reminded the authorities that there are only 10 days left of the one-month window granted after the suspension of the last warning strike.

The union stressed that while some modest progress had been made in non-monetary areas, the core issues of salary, conditions of service, payment of outstanding promotion arrears (dating back to 2017), and the release of third-party deductions remain largely unresolved. The union explicitly rejected the salary adjustment proposed by the Federal Government, describing it as “a tokenistic and insulting gesture” incapable of reversing the severe “brain drain” in the university system.

ASUU warned that the government’s continued failure to address these fundamental issues with clarity and commitment could force the union to resume industrial action without further notice after the November 22 deadline.