ASUU, NUT Warn That Nigeria’s Education Is Under Attack

Two major unions in Nigeria’s education sector, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), have said that the country’s educational system faces serious challenges. These issues stem from ongoing insecurity and lack of proper funding from the government.

During interviews with journalists at the opening session of this year’s Harmattan School, organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), ASUU president Prof. Chris Piwuna and NUT President Comrade Audu Titus Amba shared their concerns about the rising attacks, killings, and kidnappings of teachers and students in some regions.

When asked about the recent security threats to educational institutions in Nigeria, the ASUU president pointed out that the attack on education has two sides. One is the government’s neglect, and the other is the bandits who are kidnapping children in various states.

Education in Nigeria is indeed under attack. Bandits strike in the wilderness while corrupt officials undermine it in government buildings and city centers. The bandits are brutally killing and attacking us, while our leaders are slowly destroying education, Piwuna noted.

The ASUU president also updated on the union’s discussions with the federal government and their warning of a possible indefinite national strike.

ASUU announced that it would wait for the outcome of the recent talks with the federal government, which resumed on Monday, to decide on next steps.

He mentioned that the leaders of both the union and the federal government’s team were meeting in Abuja to try to resolve the ongoing disputes. The lecturers’ strike has been temporarily put on hold until these discussions are complete.

When asked if any of their demands had been met by the government, Piwuna replied, “Clearly, there are still outstanding issues, especially regarding our 2009 agreement, which is what we are discussing this afternoon.”

We will remain committed to advocating for education in Nigeria. This commitment is as strong now as it has been in the past.

For his part, the NUT President condemned the attacks on schools and educational institutions by bandits. He called this a serious threat to the entire education system.

The NUT urged the federal government to urgently take action to tackle the rising security issues, especially those endangering the lives of students and teachers in schools.

Amba announced that the union’s leadership plans to hold a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the challenges they face and possibly express their dissatisfaction with the current state of education, affecting all levels from primary to tertiary institutions.

Currently, our education system is under significant strain. Many states are closing schools due to the situation. As representatives of these educators, we are saying the government must ensure proper security for our schools.

If this does not happen, we may have to close down all schools in very dangerous areas. We cannot hold classes while our safety is at risk.

These are the challenges we face. We were in Kebbi state just two days ago and listened to what happened there. We are now relaying this message to the Federal Government of Nigeria, urging them to take action to recover the kidnapped students.

We are also calling for measures to ensure the security and protection of all schools across the nation, he stated.