Education
ASUU vows to resist UK’s Coventry University campus plan in Nigeria
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, stated this on Thursday in Bauchi at a public lecture organised by the Sa’adu Zungur University branch of the union.
He disclosed that President 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 move, describing it as an attempt to “re-colonise” Nigeria’s education sector.
He argued that the institution is grappling with financial challenges, including a £58 million deficit and a sharp decline in African student enrolment.
According to him, the university is also implementing 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 insisted that ASUU would oppose any aspect of the agreement relating to education, noting that it contradicts 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 Professor Suleiman Abdullahi Karwai of the Department of Business Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, and Dr Abubakar Sadiq Usman of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies, Gombe State University.
In his presentation, Prof Karwai urged lecturers to invest early and build sustainable sources of income.
“No lecturer should be poor. There are legitimate ventures that can complement academic work without compromising it,” he said.
He encouraged lecturers to explore opportunities such as shareholding, real estate, publishing, and consultancy, noting that many of their counterparts are already taking advantage of such avenues.