Private Universities Must Join ASUU — NLC President

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has called for the unionisation of private universities, urging the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to initiate discussions on the matter.

Ajaero made the call on Sunday during The Toyin Falola Interviews Series, in a session titled: “A Conversation with the President of ASUU, Professor Christopher Piwuna.”

The virtual discussion featured ASUU officials and other members of the academic community, focusing on the persistent ASUU strikes and ways to stabilise Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

The NLC president condemned what he described as the “incessant harassment” of ASUU and its members, questioning why the government had repeatedly signed agreements with the union since 2009 without implementing them.

He also recalled that ASUU was created with the intention of excluding it from NLC affiliation, as it was classified as a senior staff association—a designation that the NLC successfully challenged.

Ajaero added that private universities were established to circumvent ASUU, and emphasised the need to extend unionisation efforts to these institutions.

Also speaking during the conversation, ASUU President Prof Piwuna said universities can only enjoy genuine autonomy if staff have adequate facilities to carry out their work.

He stressed that ASUU members are not selfish but enduring various forms of government intimidation while advocating for improvements in the tertiary education system.