Introduction
ASUU Strike was formed in 1978 during a decline in the oil boom. The Military Administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida proscribed ASUU in 1988.
In 1988, the union organized a national strike to obtain fair wages and university autonomy. As a result, the ASUU was proscribed on 7 August 1988 and all its property seized. It was allowed to resume in 1990, but after another strike, it was again banned on 23 August 1992.The NLC stated that its aims were to establish a “living wage” and described the current minimum wage as a “starvation wage.” They also demanded the reversal of the government’s electricity tariff hike, which had caused a rising price of electricity.
What is the full meaning of ASUU Strike?
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a Nigerian union of university academic staff, founded in 1978.
ASUU strikes
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is the umbrella body for Nigerian university lecturers and has gone on strike several times:
Strike durations
The longest ASUU strike was in 2020, lasting nine months. Other notable strike durations include:
- 1996: Seven months
- 1981, 1992, 1994, 2003, and 2013: Six months each
- 1995, 1998, 1999, and 2010: Five months each
- 2000 and 2018: Four months each
- 1993, 2001, 2007, and 2011: Three months each
Strike reasons
ASUU has gone on strike to pressure the government to implement agreements and address issues that hinder the development of universities. Some of these issues include:
- Non-implementation of the Elongated University Salary Scale (EUSS)
- Poor funding for universities
- Interference with university autonomy
Recent strikes
In 2022, ASUU threatened to strike again, demanding that the government address outstanding issues. The federal government offered a 23.5% salary increase for all federal university employees, except for professors, who would receive a 35% increase.
History
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been involved in several strikes in Nigeria, including:
1988
The first notable ASUU strike led to the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida banning the union on August 7, 1988. The government seized ASUU’s properties and ordered universities to pay the EUSS backdated to January. ASUU responded by forming the University Lecturers’ Association (ULA).
2013
ASUU Strike went on strike to force the authorities to implement the 2009 agreement, increase the budget for education, and review the retirement age for professors.
Some say that the Nigerian government has not invested enough in education and that this neglect has led to a poor state of affairs in the university system.
The Security Implications of the ASUU Strike
There are also serious implications of the government’s policy of “no work, no pay” for the community. Perhaps statisticians, criminologists, and psychologists may look at the numbers—in terms of the rise and fall—of crime during ASUU strikes and when schools are in full swing. This is because even during holidays, you find students in school, unlike when there is a strike. Most likely, the government’s minders do not look at strikes, especially those to do with tertiary institutions, from this perspective. But the government needs to look at the security implications of whatever it does.
ASUU Strike Foundation
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU Strike) was formed in 1978 during a decline in the oil boom. ASUU has gone on strike multiple times, including in 1988, over the following demands:
- Implementation of the Elongated University Salary Scale (EUSS)
- Establishment of a Joint Negotiation Committee between the Federal Government and the University Staff Unions
- University Autonomy
ASUU Presidents
Here are some past presidents of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU Strike):
2016-2021: Prof Biodun Ogunyemi
2012-2016: Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge
2008–2012: Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie
2004-2008: Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano
2000-2004: Dr. Dipo Fashina
1994-2000: Prof. Assissi Asobie
1990-1994: Prof. Attahiru Mohammed Jega
1987-1988: Prof. Festus Iyayi
1982–1986: Dr. Mahmud Modibbo Tukur
1980–1982: Prof. Biodun Jeyifo
1979–1980: Dr. B.A. Ogundimu
1977–1978: Prof. I.O. Agbede
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke is the current president.
ASUU is a union that originated from the Nigerian Association of University Teachers (NAUT), which was established in 1965.
Impact of strikes on students
Strikes can have a number of negative impacts on students, including:
- Academic performance: Strikes can create learning gaps that affect a student’s academic development. Students may also experience poor exam performance and be concerned about graduating on time.
- Student motivation: Strikes can lead to a lack of motivation among students.
- Stress: Students may experience stress related to the strike, including concerns about making up time lost and the status of their exams.
- Summer plans: Strikes can impact students’ summer plans, such as travel and employment.
- Faith in the educational system: Strikes can lead to a decline in students’ faith in the educational system.
- Instructional quality: Strikes can lead to a decline in instructional quality.
- Interest in education: Strikes can lead to a decline in students’ interest in education.
However, some argue that strikes can also encourage students to develop an independent study ethic.
To support students during strikes, institutions can consider contingency plans to maintain curriculum continuity, alternative teaching methods, and digital platforms.
Origin of incessant ASUU strikes
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Nigeria has been involved in many strikes over the years, including:
- 1988: The first notable strike by ASUU
- 1994: ASUU went on strike to demand a renegotiation of an agreement from the government of Abacha
- 2022: ASUU went on strike from February 14 to October 17, 2022, the longest strike in Nigerian history
The situation has deteriorated over time, particularly during the regime of General Sani Abacha.
Reason
In 2022, ASUU declared a one-month strike, beginning February 14, 2022. Some of the lecturers’ demands included the revitalisation of public universities, earned allowances, improved funding of state universities, and payment of promotion arrears.
Effect of asuu strike on the society
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike can have a negative impact on society in a number of ways, including:
- Academic calendar: The strike can disrupt the academic calendar and activities.
- Student graduation: Students may be unsure when they will graduate.
- Student performance: Students may fear performing poorly in exams after the strike.
- Student mental health: Students may experience anxiety and loneliness.
- Educational system: Students may lose faith in the Nigerian educational system.
- Quality of education: The strike can hinder the quality of instruction.
- Student interest: Students may lose interest in education.
ASUU is a union that advocates for the welfare of academic and non-academic university employees and for changes to the university system.
Post-Military ASUU Strike
Here’s some information about the proscription of ASUU Strike by the Military Administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida in 1988:
- The proscription of ASUU occurred on August 7, 1988.
- The Federal Government seized all of ASUU’s properties and directed all universities to pay the EUSS backdated to January.
- In response, ASUU formed the University Lecturers’ Association (ULA).
- The proscription broke the back of the strike, and members returned to work.
- The President, Dr. Attahiru Jega, and the immediate past President, Dr. Festus Iyayi, were detained and tortured.
- Passports of ASUU officials were seized.
Conclusion
To sum up, the recent ASUU strike highlights the pervasive difficulties that Nigeria’s higher education system faces. The requests for increased funding, better working conditions, and sufficient resources for universities have not been substantially addressed despite multiple talks. Since students are still suffering the most from the strike’s effects on their academic performance, it is obvious that in order to find a long-term solution, the government and the university unions need to have more substantive discussions. Addressing these core problems is essential to the future of Nigerian education in order to give teachers and students the assistance they need for the country’s educational institutions to continue expanding and developing.
FAQs
What are the functions of the ASUU?
The paper concluded that ASUU does not only protect the interests of its members as one of the principles of trade unions but also works for the growth of Nigerian universities. Nigeria’s Public University System: Are Trade Unions Still Viable?
What are the negatives of strikes?
Tension can become intense when workers disagree about strike action. And striking workers end up back in the workplace, trying to rebuild a relationship with their employer, and this can be difficult. Strike action can harm the employer, which can ultimately harm the workforce.
Is the ASUU strike over?
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU Strike), in the early hours of Friday, October 14, 2022, withdrew its eight-month-old industrial action, describing the current suspension as “conditional.”.
