The Academic Staff Union of Universities has opposed the initiation of new bills for the establishment of new universities in Nigeria.
ASUU wondered why the government would suggest creating new universities while ignoring the existing ones currently in dilapidated states.
The National Universities Commission has put the total number of federal universities at 49; state-owned universities, 55, and private-owned universities, 99.
Though the NUC had earlier argued that the number of universities and lecturers in the country might not be enough to cater for the academic needs of Nigerians, ASUU told the government to focus on fixing the existing universities and the entire university system.
In an exclusive interview, ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, wondered why the government would abandon existing universities and lecturers while focusing on new establishments.
“These are some of the things we are fighting for. When you go to Nigerian universities, you see dilapidated buildings; lecturers are not even being treated well. Why create new universities when you cannot even take care of the existing ones?”
Commenting on the statistics of the NUC about the number of lecturers available in Nigerian universities, Osodeke said, “We do not have up to 100,000 lecturers in Nigerian universities, there is brain drain.
“Lecturers are leaving because of unfair treatment and they will continue to leave until the government does the right thing by making sure that adequate funds are released into the university system.”
