“Long overdue,” ASUU endorses FG’s 7-year moratorium on new varsities

By Polycarp Auta

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has endorsed decision of the Federal Government to place a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new public universities.

While endorsing the move ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna told journalists on Thursday in Jos that the association has been advocated for such a measure for long time.

He added that the step would would help address the proliferation of universities and allow for better funding and development of existing institutions

The ASUU President noted that Nigeria currently had 339 universities: 72 federal, 108 state, and 159 privately owned.

“While commending the Federal Government, this is a matter ASUU has long advocated.

“For over a decade, we’ve raised concerns about the establishment of mushroom universities with no development plans,” Piwuna said.

He lamented that ASUU’s previous appeals to halt the expansion had gone unheeded until now.

“We’ve watched universities become tools of political patronage. The moratorium is not only welcome but necessary,” he added.

“On average, each state and the FCT have about nine universities. This number is outrageous,” he said, noting that more than 30 universities reportedly had zero admission subscriptions.

He warned that spreading limited resources across too many institutions was inefficient and detrimental to education quality.

ASUU also called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to reconsider the recent approval of nine new private universities, arguing that unchecked expansion, public or private, undermined the system’s sustainability. (NAN)