As the current ASUU strike is gradually entering the eighth month, there are divergent views on whether the situation has resulted in significant increase in student enrolments in private universities.
In a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the South-South, while most private universities were not forthcoming with statistics of their enrolments, the few that spoke had divergent views on the situation.
ASUU on Feb. 14 embarked on a four-week warning strike which was later declared an indefinite industrial action over Federal Government’s failure to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement with the union.
The contentious issues that have caused the unending disagreement between the union and government, include the lecturers’ demand for release of university revitalisation fund and improved staff welfare, among others.
The Chancellor of Arthur Jarvis University in Akpabuyo, Cross River, Mr Arthur-Jarvis Archibong, says the ongoing ASUU strike has not led to increase in student enrollments in private universities.
Archibong who made the assertion in Calabar, attributed the lack of significant increase to current harsh economic realities in the country, including unaffordable school fees in most private universities.
The Founder of the university said if Nigeria’s economy was buoyant, those with children and wards in public universities, would have looked at the option of patronising private universities as the strike lingered.
He said: “The truth remains that 95 per cent of parents with wards in Nigerian public universities would wait for five years, if need be, for the strike to be called off.
“Students of public universities are now almost losing two sessions, following COVID-19 lockdown and the present ASUU strike.
Parents are not oblivious of this but the economy of the nation does not encourage them to move their wards to private universities.
“In Nigeria parents who have the capacity to send their children abroad for education are not up to one per cent of the population.
“Those who can send their children to private universities are about five per cent of the population.”
Archibong maintained that most Nigerians at present relied strictly on government universities for their children’s university education, adding that they would be affected by government’s educational policies.
He said the disagreement would continue until federal universities were privatised or given full autonomy, where each institution would be free to charge its own fees, reflecting its environment.
“Until we get to the realisation that university education is not meant for everyone, our too much placement of value on it will continue to draw the nation backward.
“We need to start looking at skill acquisition,” the chancellor advised.
However, Glorious Vision University, formerly known as Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa, Edo, said the enrolment of students in the institution had increased by 30 per cent due to current ASUU strike.
The Public Relation Officer of the institution, Mr Emmauel Abhulimen, told NAN in Ogwa that the incessant strikes by the academic staff union of universities led to more students seeking admission into the institution.
He said that the student enrolment in the institution moved from 81 in 2021/2022 academic session to 110 in the present 2022/2023 academic session.
“In 2021/2022, admission figure stood at 81 while in 2022/2023 the figure is 110. This shows 30 per cent increase in our enrolment for the year.
“The strike by ASUU in public universities is a benefit and advantage to the private institutions as many students are now seeking admission into private universities,” he said.
Abhulimen stressed that the privately owned institutions ran smooth and uninterrupted academic calendars, producing graduates within the appropriate time framework, depending on duration of courses.
“Nigerians should realise that public schools have failed. The reason private universities are doing well is that they graduate students in record time.
“But the perennial industrial action embarked upon by ASUU has practically made this impossible. It has only altered academic calendars, prolonging the graduation period for students.
“Private universities complete their courses in record time, but the case in public institutions is different as four-year course is completed after six or seven years,” he said.
Similarly, Mrs Alice Omaji, the Director of Admissions in Admiralty University, Ibusa, near Asaba, Delta, says that the institution expects increase in enrolment this 2022/2023 academic session.
“We are not happy that ASUU strike is ongoing; we pray that ASUU and the federal government resolve their differences.
“Many parents are calling and coming to make enquires about this university. You know we are a private university and most parents are of the view that the fees are high.
“But parents are tired and not happy that for more than seven months their children have remained at home. We are hoping that there will be more intake this year,” she said. (NAN)