The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has the demanded unionisation of private universities, urging the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to initiate discussions on the matter.
There are approximately 159 private universities in Nigeria, according to the National Universities Commission (NUC) on November 6, 2025 report. This number soared significantly from earlier figures, with some reports from late 2023 listing 147 or 148.
The pioneer private universities are Igbinedion University Okada, Babcock University Ilisan, Ogun State and Madonna University. They were all established in 1999.
However, speaking virtually on Sunday during The Toyin Falola Interviews Series, in a session titled: “A Conversation with the President of ASUU, Professor Christopher Piwuna,” Ajaero decried the “incessant harassment” of ASUU and its members, wondering why the government had repeatedly signed agreements with the union since 2009 without implementing them
The virtual discussion featured ASUU officials and other members of the academic community, focusing on the persistent ASUU strikes and ways to stabilise Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
The NLC president condemned what he described as the “incessant harassment” of ASUU and its members, questioning why the government had repeatedly signed agreements with the union since 2009 without implementing them.
He also recalled that ASUU was created with the intention of excluding it from NLC affiliation, as it was classified as a senior staff association—a designation that the NLC successfully challenged.
Ajaero added that private universities were established to circumvent ASUU, and emphasised the need to extend unionisation efforts to these institutions.
Also speaking during the conversation, ASUU President Prof Piwuna said universities can only enjoy genuine autonomy if staff have adequate facilities to carry out their work.
He stressed that ASUU members are not selfish but enduring various forms of government intimidation while advocating for improvements in the tertiary education system.
–Leadership news
