The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s reported plan to phase out certain university courses considered “irrelevant” to current labour market demands.
The union described the proposed move as dangerous and a direct threat to academic freedom and university autonomy in Nigeria.
ASUU, in a statement issued by its Benin Zone, insisted that all academic programmes remain important to national development and warned against government interference in university curriculum decisions.
ASUU faults proposed course review
The controversy follows recent comments credited to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who reportedly said the government intended to align university programmes with modern economic realities and global trends.
Reports indicated that some humanities and social science-related courses were being considered for review or possible discontinuation over concerns about employability and labour market relevance.
Reacting to the development, ASUU maintained that universities should retain the exclusive right to determine their academic programmes through their governing structures and senates.
“Universities are not technical colleges. They are centres of knowledge creation and dissemination. Every discipline has its place in national development,” a source within the union stated.
Union warns against interference
ASUU also warned that any attempt by the Federal Government to dictate courses offered in universities could weaken the country’s higher education system.
The union vowed to resist what it described as efforts to commercialise and vocationalise university education at the expense of critical thinking and broader intellectual development.
The disagreement further adds to the strained relationship between ASUU and the Federal Government following unresolved issues surrounding previous agreements reached with the union.
Concerns over another crisis
Stakeholders within the education sector have continued to call for dialogue between both parties to avoid another industrial crisis in public universities.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Ministry of Education had not officially responded to ASUU’s latest position on the matter.