…Being The PUNCH Editorial today
All eyes are back on tertiary education. While most federal universities are running smoothly, it is not the case at some state-owned universities. From Lagos to Plateau, Kaduna to Taraba, the age-long disruption of the academic calendar is rearing its head again at state-owned universities. State governors, who are basking in more resources than before, should address the underlying issues.
In the recent past, Nigeria’s public universities were infamous for lengthy strikes.
But President Bola Tinubu’s mantra to end lecturers’ strikes that had plagued the public university system appears to have worked so far. In January, the federal government increased salaries by 40 per cent. This has restored stability in these institutions.
Conversely, strikes have returned to some state-owned institutions.
The states have no genuine excuse. After Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy, floated the naira and expanded the tax net, including VAT, the sub-national governments are more buoyant than ever.
Since 2009, public universities have experienced persistent strikes, which Tinubu pledged to end. Until the Tinubu administration’s pact, the 2009 agreement of N1.51 trillion for the revitalisation of universities and the enhancement of salaries was poorly implemented.
The outcome is predictable. In the latest Webometrics ranking, the best is the University of Ibadan at No. 1,291 in the world. UI is followed by the University of Lagos (1,355) and the University of Nigeria (1,397). This is depressing.
At the core of the face-off is the December 2025 Federal Government-Academic Staff Union of Universities agreement. Essentially, the Federal Government increased lecturers’ salaries by 40 per cent.
Other key provisions include an annual credit allowance of N1.8 million for professors and between N840,000 and N870,000 per annum for academic readers, and enhanced pensions.
Ironically, Lagos, Tinubu’s home, is the latest state where ASUU has just declared a strike, following the breakdown in negotiations between the state government and the joint unions of the three universities in Lagos.
According to the ASUU chapters of Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Science and Technology and Lagos State University of Education, the government did not implement the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement despite a 14-day notice.
In Kaduna, the ASUU state chapter at the Kaduna State University, Kakuri, recently ended its strike after Governor Uba Sani approved the implementation of the agreement from October 1.
A similar story is unfolding in Plateau State. After downing tools over the agreement, the ASUU chapter of the Plateau State University, Bokkos, terminated its strike on September 16.
It said the state government had agreed to implement its six-point demand.
But lecturers at the three state-owned universities in Ondo State are still on strike over the non-implementation of the FGN-ASUU pact.
On September 15, the ASUU chapter of the Taraba State University, Jalingo, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the state government to implement the agreement or face a strike. The ultimatum will expire on September 28.
These contradictions expose Nigeria’s flawed federalism. The centre was at the forefront of the negotiations with ASUU. While the Federal Government has gone ahead to implement the agreement, states are delaying implementation for reasons best known to them.
In many areas of national life, the federal government imposes its will on the federating units. The unbridled federal power is an overreach. In a federal jurisdiction, this is wrong.
So, state governments should not be under this overarching federal influence in the funding and administration of universities at the second tier of government.
The independence of states and the centre has a crucial inflexion point.
In this, private universities offer the best lesson. With their independence and self-funding system, the 182 private institutions determine the remuneration they can offer the academic and non-academic staff. Therefore, strikes over pay are non-existent in private institutions. With proper independence and control, it could also be so at state-owned universities.
State governments share in the blame. Currently, there are 69 state-owned universities in the country. Without proper preparation for funding, staffing and infrastructure, state governments establish multiple universities. This is ridiculous.
Some states have more than three universities. Thus, they find it difficult to cope with the financial and infrastructure demands of such institutions. But it is wrong to see universities as a political symbol.
After a spree, the federal government placed a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new universities in a bid to address the issues at stake.
Therefore, the National Universities Commission should exercise its independence. It should thoroughly scrutinise the centre, the states and private entrepreneurs who bid to establish universities.
