The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed deep concern over the state of Nigeria, lamenting that the country is worse off today than it was four decades ago. Speaking at the 2024 Edition of the ASUU State of the Nation Conference in Abuja, ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, attributed Nigeria’s decline to rampant corruption and misgovernance.
The conference, titled “Nigeria in a State of General Crisis: The Search for a New Path to Development,” aimed to shed light on the nation’s challenges while offering solutions to redirect the country’s trajectory. Osodeke criticised President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” mantra, asserting that Nigeria had instead fallen into a “hopeless state,” as the actions of corrupt leadership and foreign exploitation have deepened the crisis.
“It is disheartening to note that the situation today is far worse than in 1984,” Osodeke remarked, drawing a grim comparison between Nigeria’s current circumstances and those of 40 years ago. He argued that the existing governance structure, which he described as foreign-controlled and serving only a privileged few, must be reformed to prioritise the welfare of the people.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary, Osodeke pointed to the nation’s wealth being mismanaged, leaving the majority of its citizens in poverty. “Nigeria is too rich for Nigerians to languish in excruciating poverty,” he said, urging for the country’s resources to be harnessed for the collective good.
Osodeke also highlighted the union’s longstanding role in addressing national issues, stating that ASUU’s mandate extends beyond improving working conditions for university staff. The union, he explained, has always sought to “protect and advance the socio-economic and cultural interests of the nation.”
The ASUU President traced the union’s advocacy efforts back to 1984, when the first ASUU State of the Nation Conference was held at the University of Benin amidst a backdrop of economic crises. Chronic shortages, collapsing infrastructure, mass unemployment, and rampant corruption were some of the challenges identified by the union at that time, many of which, he lamented, persist today.
Osodeke blamed the country’s continued struggles on its entanglement with the international capitalist system, colonial-era exploitation, and the control of Nigeria’s resources by foreign firms. He further decried the role of a local elite class that, he said, aids in the plundering of Nigeria’s wealth, worsening the plight of ordinary citizens.
“As we mark 64 years of independence, it is painful to observe that the situation has deteriorated even further than it was in 1984,” Osodeke concluded. He stressed that had the government implemented the resolutions from ASUU’s 1984 conference, the nation’s current crises could have been avoided.
Representing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, at the event, a spokesperson acknowledged ASUU’s pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s educational landscape. Abbas commended the union for its tireless campaigns to improve funding for universities, enhance working conditions for academic staff, and elevate student welfare. He noted that ASUU’s efforts have not only strengthened Nigeria’s education sector but also laid a foundation for sustainable national development.
As the conference wrapped up, the message was clear: without an urgent course correction and a governance overhaul, Nigeria’s downward spiral would continue. ASUU’s call for change echoed through the event, a reminder of the union’s enduring role as a watchdog for the nation’s socio-economic well-being.