Private universities were established to circumvent ASUU.
The President of the 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 brought together ASUU officials and members of the academic community to address persistent strikes and ways to stabilise Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
Condemning the “incessant harassment” of ASUU and its members, Ajaero questioned why successive governments had repeatedly signed agreements with the union since 2009 without implementing them. He also noted that ASUU was initially classified as a senior staff association to exclude it from NLC affiliation, a designation the NLC successfully challenged.
Highlighting that private universities were established to circumvent ASUU, Ajaero emphasised the need to extend unionisation efforts to these institutions.