Faisal Salisu DambattaThe Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the federal government’s plan to establish a Nigerian campus of a United Kingdom university, vowing to resist any implementation.
ASUU president, Chris Piwuna, announced the union’s stance weekend during a public lecture in Bauchi organised by the Sa’adu Zungur University branch of ASUU.
Piwuna revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during a recent state visit to the UK, signed an agreement including plans to open a Nigerian campus of Coventry University.
He criticised the proposal as an attempt to “re-colonise” Nigeria’s education sector, arguing that the foreign institution is already facing financial constraints, including a £58 million deficit and declining African student enrolment. Piwuna added that Coventry University is pursuing cost-cutting measures projected to reach £100 million over the next two years.
“They deny Nigerians visas to study abroad, yet they want to come here and take our money,” he said.
The ASUU president reiterated that the union would oppose any aspect of the agreement related to education, noting that it contravenes the federal government’s moratorium on establishing new universities.
“This will not stand. We are going to resist it,” Piwuna asserted.
On a positive note, he commended the Vice-Chancellor of Sa’adu Zungur University, Professor Fatima Tahir, for implementing a new salary structure for staff, describing the move as commendable.
The lecture, which focused on academic responsibility and entrepreneurship, featured presentations by Suleiman Abdullahi Karwai of Ahmadu Bello University’s Department of Business Administration and Abubakar Sadiq Usman of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies, Gombe State University.
Karwai urged lecturers to invest early and build sustainable income streams, noting that academics can complement their salaries through legitimate ventures such as shareholding, real estate, publishing, and consultancy.
“No lecturer should be poor. Many of our colleagues are already leveraging such opportunities while maintaining academic integrity,” he said.
