ASUU demands suspension of new varsities, threatens strike

The Yola Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked the federal government to suspend the establishment of nine newly approved universities until existing ones are adequately funded, staffed, and equipped.

Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Dani Mamman, issued the warning at a press conference in Modibbo Adama University, Yola, on Monday.

He cautioned that failure to heed the demand could trigger fresh industrial action.

Mamman, represented by Dr. Mbave Joshua of Taraba State University, described the approval of new universities as “a continuation of the destruction of Nigeria’s higher education system,” stressing that the 2009 ASUU–FGN agreement focused on revitalizing existing institutions through sustainable funding.

He lamented that many universities are struggling with dilapidated classrooms and outdated laboratories, while government chooses expansion without capacity.

The zone also rejected the newly introduced Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF), which ASUU described as a “debt trap loan” that would worsen the financial burden of lecturers already grappling with poor wages and unpaid entitlements.

The Yola Zone, comprising Adamawa State University, Federal University Gashua, Modibbo Adama University, Taraba State University, University of Maiduguri, and Yobe State University, urged government to honour existing agreements or risk a strike.