Such loans won’t be able to address the needs of our members, rather, add to our troubles.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has vehemently rejected the Federal Government’s newly‑launched Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund (TISSF), which offers loans of up to ₦10 million to academic and non‑academic staff. In an exclusive interview with Tribune Online, ASUU national president Professor Christopher Piwuna argued that the initiative diverts attention from the more pressing need for substantial salary reforms. He insisted: “Such loans won’t be able to address the needs of our members, rather, add to our troubles…”
Piwuna explained that these loans merely duplicate existing internal arrangements at universities and fail to alleviate the economic hardships facing lecturers today. Instead, ASUU is calling for an urgent review of pay packets to reflect current inflation and cost of living.
He also raised concerns over unpaid salary arrears spanning three and a half months since 2022, which the government had partly settled. Piwuna urged full clearance of the remaining liabilities, stressing that the withheld funds are earned entitlements—not charitable grants.
The union thanked President Tinubu’s administration for partial disbursement of the withheld salaries, but reiterated that only a comprehensive pay overhaul can stem recurring financial distress among university staff.