ASSU-FG prolonged conflict and the fate of Nigerian education

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Fatima Usman  Abdullahi
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Conflicts in industrial relations since the evolution of the human society are inevitable. These conflicts are usually between the employers of labour and the employees of labour, or what is called the bourgeoisie and the proletariat in the Karl Marx’s language. Since the division of human society into classes, antagonism and contradiction have been recurrent. 

The academic staff union of Universities  (ASUU) was formed as a trade union in 1978 to protect and add   great impetus to their struggle for their corporate interests. Time without number, the lecturers cried out for their welfare, their allowances are believed to be diverted for political purposes and the tertiary education is under-funding in Nigeria. ASSU strike is hinged upon deprivation and class struggle. Since the formation of ASUU in 1978, the university system has passed through a series of strikes which threatened the ideals of the institutions.



 From 1978-2017 ASUU’s strikes end-up in consultation, dialogue and signing of  Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Most of the strikes are affective not effective, going by the fact that, even the current one embarked by the union is connected to 2009 agreement brokered by ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria. The western world, which we claimed to emulate give magnificent and high level attention to their educational system, one can hardly hear issue of industrial action in that part of the world (especially educational sector), that is why we see them as technologically advanced, economically buoyant and politically stable, this is so, because they value their education.


 As a nation we need a paradigm shift and radical overhaul in order to develop our institutions, we must shift from negligence to determination, from unfulfilled promises to proper implementation. Students are always the recipients of the government ineptitude towards education. Nigerian educational system is moving from bad to worse.



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