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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concern over the growing number of first-class graduates produced annually by private universities in Nigeria.
ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, raised the issue on Thursday during an event organized to honor Prof. Andy Egwunyenga for his successful tenure as Vice Chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU).
The event took place at the DELSU campus in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State.
Osodeke warned that if public universities adopt similar practices without regulation, it could undermine genuine academic efforts and lead to a decline in educational standards.
He also noted that the country’s primary and secondary schools are producing graduates with excellent grades but lacking in-depth knowledge.
The ASUU leader further criticized the mass migration of skilled Nigerian workers to countries offering better living and work conditions, highlighting incidents such as building collapses as evidence of significant systemic issues within the nation’s institutions.
“The struggle for academics to enjoy a decent standard of living saw some measure of success in the past, when academics could sustain a comfortable life. The situation has changed, and the unions must return to the frontline for a renewed phase of their struggle,” Osodeke said.
He reiterated that ASUU would continue to speak out against injustices and advocate for fairness in the education sector.
Prof. Omotoye Olorode, a member of the union, discussed the topic “New University Curricula (CCMAS): Context and Matters Arising,” criticizing the curricula as an imperialistic mechanism aimed at undermining Nigeria’s academic structures.
He claimed it perpetuates a system that keeps Africans as agricultural laborers for the benefit of developed nations.
Olorode also highlighted the low investment in education, noting that UNESCO recommends 26% of the national budget be allocated to education, while Nigeria has never exceeded 7%, signaling stagnation in the sector.
The Chairman of DELSU ASUU, Dr. Paul Opone, praised Egwunyenga for his leadership, saying that the university had been in dire need of a competent leader since 2019.
He credited Egwunyenga for meeting the expectations of both ASUU and the university community, leading to widespread celebrations across DELSU.
“This is the first time ASUU has honored a lecturer at DELSU with such a celebration. Prof. Egwunyenga deserves far more than the praises he has received,” Opone stated.
Responding, Prof. Egwunyenga expressed his gratitude for the recognition, noting that his leadership approach was influenced by the insights from Festus Iyayi’s book, Demons and Monsters.