Professor Chris Piwuna of the University of Jos has emerged as the new President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), following a keenly contested election at the union’s 23rd National Delegates Congress held at the University of Benin, Edo State.
Piwuna, who succeeds Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, was elected ahead of Professor Adamu Babayo of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
Delegates from public universities across the country participated in the vote, which marks a new chapter for the academic union at a time of mounting concerns over the future of higher education in Nigeria.
In his acceptance remarks, Professor Piwuna acknowledged the weight of responsibility placed on the new leadership, pledging to address pressing issues such as the dwindling funding for public universities, the lingering matter of Earned Academic Allowances, and the mass exodus of academic talent from the country.
“Our universities are in distress. We are losing some of our best brains to foreign institutions due to poor welfare, lack of autonomy, and a lack of genuine commitment to education by the government. We will not keep silent,” Piwuna said.
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He also vowed to push for policies that safeguard the dignity of academics, strengthen institutional autonomy, and ensure a more responsive engagement with government on university matters.
The National Delegates Congress, which brought together ASUU members from across Nigeria, also served as a platform to review the union’s strategies and re-evaluate its role in championing quality tertiary education amid growing instability in the education sector.
Professor Piwuna, a consultant psychiatrist and seasoned academic, has been a vocal figure within ASUU and is expected to bring fresh energy to the union’s advocacy for revitalising Nigerian universities.
