The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will on Tuesday commence nationwide protests across public universities to press home long-standing demands over welfare and funding of the education sector.
The protests, which will take place simultaneously in all federal and state universities, were mandated by the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU after branches were directed to hold congresses and conduct referenda on possible strike action.
A national executive member of the union told Daily Sun that the demonstrations will begin inside campuses and terminate at the main gates, with lecturers carrying placards to sensitise the public on their plight.
“From the congress, branches are expected to stage protests against the Federal Government’s non-implementation of our demands. The exercise is to enlighten Nigerians about our challenges, since this government is not serious about resolving them,” the official said.
The union’s demands include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, payment of outstanding salary arrears, implementation of the 25/35 percent salary increment, settlement of promotion arrears, and an end to the use of IPPIS for lecturers’ salaries.
ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, accused the Tinubu-led administration of deliberately frustrating renegotiation efforts and eroding trust.
“Trust has been destroyed by the government. It is up to them to regain it to avert any strike or allow the strike to go on,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has ordered all 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates to re-upload their final WAEC Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results on its portal.
In a bulletin released Monday, JAMB explained that all previously uploaded results have been wiped to prevent discrepancies, particularly from candidates who had earlier uploaded incomplete records while awaiting the final release.
The Board said the re-upload is mandatory for all UTME candidates, regardless of whether their final results differ from earlier submissions, warning that failure to comply could affect admission chances.
In a related development, a coalition of academics, students, and alumni has written to the National Universities Commission (NUC), demanding action against social media comedians and influencers who brand their platforms with the word “university.”
The group cited examples like “Geh Geh University” and “Blessing CEO University,” describing them as a distortion of higher education standards.
According to Dr. Charles Ekeh, spokesperson for the coalition, such parody institutions not only mock the value of higher learning but also pose a risk of misleading vulnerable audiences.
“The term ‘university’ is a legally protected designation earned through accreditation. Allowing comedians to use it undermines the integrity of Nigerian higher education and risks enabling fraudulent schemes,” he said.
The coalition urged the NUC to issue cease-and-desist orders to offenders, collaborate with the NCC and social media platforms to enforce compliance, and launch public education campaigns to safeguard the sanctity of genuine universities.
With ASUU’s protests looming, JAMB tightening its admission process, and stakeholders calling for stronger regulatory action on academic integrity, Nigeria’s higher education sector appears set for another round of heated debates on credibility, funding, and governance.
