The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticized the Federal Government’s recent approval of new private universities, arguing that the decision ignores the severe underfunding and decay in public tertiary institutions.
This development comes after the Federal Government placed a 7-year ban on the creation of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, had stated that Federal Executive Council had approved nine private universities, clarifying that they have been in the approval process for close to six years.
The union, speaking through Christopher Piwuna, the president of the union, criticised the government for approving more universities at a time when existing ones are facing significant challenges.
“ASUU also watched in awe as the Federal Government announced the seven-year moratorium; they proceeded to announce the establishment of nine new private universities.
“If we agree that access is no longer an issue, why is the NUC giving more licences to private universities?
The body claimed that the government’s action shows a lack of commitment to public education and that the focus should be on revitalizing and properly funding the universities that already exist.
They also argued that the proliferation of new institutions, especially private ones, will further strain the education system’s resources and ultimately lower the quality of degrees awarded.
“While the body acknowledges the rights of private individuals to establish universities, education must be tightly controlled to ensure quality.”
The statement added, “The government must therefore promote quality education and shun profiteering in the education sector.
According to the union, many of the new private universities are established more for political patronage and profit than for a genuine commitment to academic excellence. They also believe that this trend will make quality education inaccessible to the poor.
“We have 72 federal and 108 state universities, and 159 private universities, bringing it to a total of 339 universities, giving each state and the FCT an average of nine universities, excluding polytechnics and colleges of education,” the statement read.
“So why not place a moratorium on both public and private? Past and present administration must cover their faces in shame for this scandalous proliferation of universities.
“Failure to do this will continue to erase our universities from world rankings.
The union has a long history of industrial action over these issues and has warned that the government’s failure to address its concerns, including the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement and the payment of outstanding salaries and allowances, could lead to another strike.
ASUU insisted that the government should not establish new institutions if it cannot adequately fund the existing ones. The union believes that expanding the capacity of current public universities is a more logical and effective solution to the increasing demand for university education.
