𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖋𝖋 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 - 𝔸𝕊𝕌𝕌

22/02/2026

RE:Before the Next Lecture Becomes the Last: A Counselling Call to Academics.
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The recent reports presented at the NEC meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Abuja are not just statistics, they are warning bells. Nearly fifty colleagues lost within three months. Another troubling figure recorded earlier in the year. These are not mere numbers; they are lecturers who prepared notes, marked scripts, supervised theses, attended meetings — and then suddenly were no more.

We must pause and reflect.
Exhaustion is silent, but it is deadly. It does not always announce itself with dramatic symptoms. Sometimes it hides behind dedication. Sometimes it disguises itself as productivity. Sometimes it wears the badge of “commitment.” But when the human body is overstretched beyond its limits — physically, emotionally, and financially — it begins to break down.

Our profession is noble, but it is demanding. Heavy teaching loads. Endless marking. Publish-or-perish pressure. Research deadlines. Committee responsibilities. Accreditation exercises. Administrative meetings. External examinations. Community and religious engagements. At home, family needs, school fees, aging parents, strained marriages, and economic hardship. The salary structure does not match the rising cost of living, and yet expectations keep increasing.
The truth we rarely say aloud is this: many academics are operating on chronic stress.
Chronic stress weakens the immune system, strains the heart, disturbs sleep, elevates blood pressure, and increases the risk of sudden collapse. When rest is postponed repeatedly, the body eventually enforces it, sometimes permanently.

Comrades, this is counselling from the heart: your life is more valuable than any deadline. No publication is worth your heartbeat. No committee assignment should cost your health.

Learn to rest without guilt. Schedule medical checkups intentionally. Delegate where possible. Share burdens with trusted colleagues. Speak up when the workload becomes unreasonable. Exercise moderately. Sleep adequately. Reduce avoidable conflicts. Protect your mental space.
Most importantly, reconnect with the original joy of teaching — not as a compulsion, but as a calling.

Let us create a culture where wellbeing is not seen as weakness. Let us advocate collectively for humane policies and manageable workloads. Let us check on one another beyond academic performance.

Before the next lecture becomes the last, choose life.

Protect your heart. Guard your mind. Value your health.

Because the university needs living scholars — not memorial tributes.

✍🏽 Prof Gbenga Onabamiro is a Counselling Psychologist and a Public affairs Analyst.

23/01/2026

40th Inaugural Lecture at Federal University Lafia: Prof. Charity Justin Takyun Charts a Practical Path to Tackling Mental Illness

Professor Charity Justin Takyun, a Professor of Medical and Health Psychology in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Federal University Lafia (FULafia), has identified mental illness as one of the most pressing and underestimated threats to personal wellbeing and social stability. In her view, mental health challenges do not only disrupt individual lives; they ripple outward—weakening families, reducing productivity, worsening conflict at home and in the workplace, and quietly eroding community resilience when left unaddressed.

Speaking during her 40th inaugural lecture, titled “Navigating Life’s Challenges: Understanding and Addressing Mental Illnesses,” Prof. Takyun offered a clear message: life’s pressures are universal, and it is normal to experience distress when confronted with losses, uncertainty, economic hardship, academic demands, or social expectations. However, she stressed that when stress becomes persistent and unmanaged, it can tilt from temporary discomfort into serious mental health conditions. She highlighted how stigma often worsens the situation in Nigeria—discouraging people from seeking help, pushing sufferers into silence, and allowing treatable problems to become chronic crises.

Importantly, her lecture moved beyond diagnosis to solutions. Prof. Takyun recommended practical, everyday strategies that individuals and communities can adopt: building supportive relationships, strengthening healthy routines, practicing mindfulness and emotional self-awareness, and seeking professional care when symptoms persist or interfere with daily functioning. She urged students and the wider public to take mental health guidance seriously, warning that neglecting psychological wellbeing carries a real cost to society—manifesting in broken homes, reduced human capital, and preventable suffering. The lecture, held at the university’s Multipurpose Hall, attracted academics, students, dignitaries, and members of the public, and ended with the presentation of an award plaque formally recognising her elevation to the rank of professor.

19/01/2026

UNIZIK Leads Early Implementation of 2025 ASUU–FG Agreement

Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has commenced the immediate implementation of key components of the 2025 agreement between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bond Ugochukwu Anyaehie, disclosed that the enhanced allowances are being funded through the university’s internally generated revenue (IGR), beginning with increased honoraria for external assessment of academic staff.

Under the agreement, the Federal Government is responsible for allowances related to undergraduate activities—such as industrial training supervision, field trips, teaching practice, and external moderation—while university governing councils are to fund postgraduate supervision and postgraduate external moderation from IGR. The honorarium for external moderation has been increased from ₦50,000 to over ₦200,000.

The move has been widely welcomed by academic staff and the ASUU-UNIZIK leadership, who described it as a good omen and a strong sign of cooperation between university management and the union. UNIZIK is reported to be the first Nigerian university to begin implementing the agreement. The wider 2025 ASUU–FG agreement also provides for a 40% salary increase for lecturers effective January 1, 2026, and a restructuring of nine earned academic allowances, now clearly defined and linked to specific academic duties

18/01/2026

𝗔𝗦𝗨𝗨, 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗕𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝘃𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗯𝘂

Nigeria’s public universities tell a deeper story about how the state relates with dialogue, dissent, and responsibility. Few relationships expose this more clearly than that between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, engagement with ASUU was shaped largely by delay, coercion, and a steady attempt to wear the union down. Agreements were treated less as binding commitments and more as promises that could be suspended whenever it suited government convenience. Economic hardship, revenue challenges, or national emergencies were repeatedly invoked as force majeure—not as temporary constraints, but as excuses for indefinite inaction.

Perhaps more damaging than the delays was the way ASUU itself was presented to the public. Key government appointees openly caricatured the union, portraying it as insensitive to students, indifferent to national realities, or hostile to reform. This was not accidental. It was a calculated effort to delegitimise ASUU, shift public frustration away from years of neglect of the university system, and justify a hardline posture. In that environment, genuine dialogue gave way to propaganda, and negotiation was replaced with intimidation.

The insistence on IPPIS, the frequent resort to the courts, threats of proscription, and the application of the “no work, no pay” principle all flowed from the same mindset: control over consensus. The outcome was predictable. Strikes dragged on, universities remained shut for months, students were left stranded, and trust between government and academics collapsed. By the end of the Buhari era, the relationship between ASUU and the Federal Government was not merely strained; it was broken.

The Tinubu administration, led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is still relatively young. Yet even within this short time, a different tone has begun to emerge. Engagement has been less hostile, public rhetoric less demonising, and conversations more pragmatic. Economic difficulties have not disappeared, but there has been less reliance on force majeure as a blanket excuse for doing nothing.

Most importantly, what years of endless negotiations failed to achieve has finally happened: a renewed Collective Bargaining Agreement has been unveiled. That single act already marks a clear break from a past defined by motion without movement.

This does not mean the problems are over. They are not. Implementation is the real test. But one lesson is already unmistakable: universities cannot be governed through threats, caricature, or administrative muscle. Academic labour does not respond to bullying. It responds to sincerity, respect, and good faith.

History has also made something else clear. Power can delay justice, sometimes for a very long time, but it cannot bury it forever. ASUU outlasted caricature, endured coercion, and survived years of force majeure politics. That endurance is itself a lesson, one this country should not ignore again.

Call to Action

This moment must be a turning point, not another brief pause before old habits return. Governments at all levels must accept that Nigeria’s public universities cannot survive on brinkmanship, selective compliance, or delayed justice. The renewed agreement must be implemented fully, transparently, and in good faith, without excuses, shifting goalposts, or quiet backtracking.

In particular, Visitors of state-owned universities must borrow a leaf from this renewed federal engagement. Acting on behalf of their respective state governments, they should respond promptly and, where possible, competitively in implementing the agreement. A race to the top—rather than a culture of reluctance, will not only stabilise state universities but also strengthen the entire public university system. Stability, credibility, and academic excellence are best secured when sub-national governments demonstrate leadership, not hesitation.

University administrators must act with integrity, labour unions with responsibility, and political leaders with the humility to recognise that education is not an expendable sector. Above all, Nigerians, parents, students, academics, and civil society, must remain alert and vocal. Silence has never saved the university system; vigilance just might. If this opportunity is wasted, history will remember not the agreements that were signed, but the futures that were betrayed

© John Ajai

17/01/2026

17/01/2026

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐆–𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐔 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝟏𝟎 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

17/01/2026

ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴠɪɴᴅɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ: ᴡʜʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀꜱᴜᴜ ᴀɢʀᴇᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜʏ ᴏʙꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʜᴀꜱ ꜰᴀɪʟᴇᴅ

History was made in Nigeria yesterday as the Federal Government unveiled a renewed Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Beyond the ceremony and official pronouncements, the moment carries deep significance for the nation’s public university system and for all who have endured years of uncertainty, strikes, and broken promises.

At one level, this agreement brings to an end a struggle that lasted close to sixteen years. Throughout this period, negotiations were repeatedly stalled, commitments were postponed, and progress was sacrificed to political gamesmanship and bureaucratic resistance. That the agreement has finally been unveiled makes it far more than an administrative routine; it stands as a testament to persistence and collective resolve in the face of sustained obstruction.

At another level, this development compels an honest reckoning with the actions of those who deliberately worked against its realisation. Foremost among them is Chris Ngige, the immediate past Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity. While in office, he deployed every available lever of power to delay, frustrate, and weaken the agreement. The consequences of this posture were grave: repeated disruptions of academic calendars, prolonged industrial unrest, and deepening frustration among staff and students across Nigeria’s public universities.

It is therefore neither accidental nor insignificant that Dr. Ngige is alive to witness the eventual emergence of what he so persistently and fruitlessly opposed. In plain terms, this is a moment that should compel him to hide his face in shame. History has laid bare the futility of his obstruction and reaffirmed an enduring truth: no individual, however influential or strategically positioned, can permanently stop what is genuinely good and collectively beneficial to Nigeria and Nigerians. Power may delay justice, but it cannot extinguish it.

Still, this moment transcends individual conduct. It speaks to a broader lesson about governance and history itself. Public interest is often suppressed, postponed, or ignored, but it has a stubborn capacity to resurface. When legitimate demands are pursued with consistency and moral clarity, even the most resistant systems are eventually forced to yield.

That said, the present administration must resist the temptation to treat this achievement as an endpoint. The signing of the agreement, important as it is, represents only the beginning. What will ultimately matter is faithful, transparent, and sustained implementation. This caution is necessary because the Nigerian state has, over time, earned an unenviable reputation for entering into agreements with labour unions only to abandon them once public attention wanes. It would be deeply disappointing if the current celebration were to fade into another familiar episode of non-compliance.

With respect to state universities, clarity is essential. Statutory allocations from the Federation Account are paid to state governments as constitutionally recognised sub-national entities, and these allocations have increased significantly following the removal of fuel subsidy. In this context, Visitors of state universities, acting for and on behalf of their respective state governments, cannot credibly advance claims of fiscal incapacity or institutional helplessness as justification for non-compliance with the provisions of the agreement. Where implementation fails, the explanation lies not in a lack of resources, but in a lack of political will, prioritisation, and administrative discipline.

Ultimately, this moment calls for reflection rather than self-congratulation. It offers policymakers, at both federal and state levels, an opportunity to learn from years of avoidable conflict and to recommit to dialogue, integrity, and respect for binding agreements. For Nigeria’s university system, the hope is that this development marks not merely the end of a long delay, but the beginning of a more stable, honest, and dignified relationship between the state and those entrusted with the nation’s intellectual future.

Prof. John T. Ajai
Department of Science Education
Taraba State University, Jalingo

16/01/2026

CONUA?

16/01/2026

𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝑺𝑼𝑼–𝑭𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒐𝒍𝒂 𝑨𝒉𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝑻𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒃𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝑶𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓 2024, 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔. 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔. 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈—𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒓𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒌𝒊𝒋𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒔.

16/01/2026

President of ASUU, Professor Chris Piwuna has urged lecturers across Nigeria to resume teaching, research, and community service following the signing of a new agreement with the FG, describing it as a historic moment for the nation’s universities.