The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the federal government’s plan to establish a United Kingdom university campus in Nigeria, vowing to resist its implementation.
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, made this known on Friday in Bauchi during a public lecture organised by the Sa’adu Zungur University branch of the union.
He revealed that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during a recent state visit to the United Kingdom, signed an agreement that includes plans to establish a Nigerian campus of Coventry University.
Piwuna criticised the proposal, describing it as an attempt to “re-colonise” Nigeria’s education sector. He argued that the institution is facing financial constraints, including a £58 million deficit and a decline in African student enrolment.
According to him, the university is also 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.
He maintained that ASUU would oppose any aspect of the agreement related to education, noting that it runs contrary to the Federal Government’s moratorium on the establishment of new universities.
“This will not stand. We are going to resist it,” he added.
Piwuna, however, commended the Vice-Chancellor of Sa’adu Zungur University, Professor Fatima Tahir, for implementing the new salary structure, describing the move as commendable.
The lecture, which focused on academic responsibility and entrepreneurship, featured presentations by Suleiman Abdullahi Karwai of the Department of Business Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, and Abubakar Sadiq Usman of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies, Gombe State University.
In his presentation, Karwai urged lecturers to invest early and build sustainable income streams.
“No lecturer should be poor. There are legitimate ventures that can complement academic work without compromising it,” he said.
He encouraged academics to explore opportunities such as shareholding, real estate, publishing, and consultancy, noting that many of their counterparts are already leveraging such avenues.
