Cogs in the Wheel: Academic Trade Unionism, Government, and the Crisis in Tertiary Education in Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract:This article examines the role of academic unionism in the perennial crisis bedeviling the university system in Nigeria. It is the contention here that contrary to officially sponsored opinion, the crisis can be linked to external factors, especially the government's handling of industrial disputes. The crisis in the system, which started in the early 1990s, can be seen as the direct off-shoot of the macro-economic adjustment programs foisted on the country and the subsequent decrease in government funding of the education sector. Nevertheless, the repressive practices of past military regimes have contributed immensely to the crisis, as have the frequent strikes of the the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU). The articles suggests that the crisis can be tackled only with an amelioration of the fundamental problems confronting the system—ranging from underfunding and poor working conditions to excessive government meddling in university governance—and a rethinking of strategies by both the government and ASUU.