By Dayo Hassan
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, or ASUU, has been accused of obstructing universities’ full autonomy in Nigeria in a variety of ways. ASUU has been accused of obstructing university autonomy in a number of ways, including:
Strikes: ASUU has a long history of going on strike, usually in response to funding, salary, or other labour disputes. These strikes have the potential to disrupt academic activities on campus as well as impact university autonomy by making it difficult for administrators to plan and implement programmes.
Interference with administrative decisions: ASUU has been accused of interfering with administrative decisions involving hiring, promotions, and other personnel matters. This can limit university administrators’ ability to make decisions that are in the best interests of the institution.
Opposition to government policies: The ASUU has a history of opposing government policies related to education and funding, which can lead to conflict between the union and university administrators. This may limit universities’ ability to make decisions independently of government influence.
Furthermore, some lecturers may engage in activities that jeopardize university academic integrity, such as plagiarism, exam malpractice, and corruption. These activities have the potential to undermine university autonomy by jeopardizing the quality of education and research conducted by these institutions.
To promote university autonomy, it is critical to ensure that lecturers are adequately compensated and have access to the resources they need to carry out their academic duties. Furthermore, there is a need to strengthen the regulatory frameworks that govern university in Nigeria (NUC Act) in order to prevent lecturers or other stakeholders from impeding university autonomy.
