“ASUU rejects FG’s loan scheme for tertiary staff, citing mounting debt crises.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has boldly turned down the Federal Government’s newly introduced Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF)—an interest-free loan initiative intended to support academic and non-academic staff nationwide. ASUU contends that the scheme would push already indebted educators deeper into financial crisis.

At a press briefing held at the union’s Jos secretariat, ASUU National President Professor Christopher Piwuna denounced the program as a “poison chalice”, cautioning members against participation. “Our members are already deep in debt. What we need is the renegotiation of our 2009 agreement to improve salaries—not more loans,” he stressed.

According to Daily Trust Piwuna also revealed that government owes lecturers 3½ months of backlogged salaries. He called on the government to use funds allocated for the loan scheme to settle these arrears instead. “Members are advised to stay away from the loan and focus on legitimate entitlements because it is a bait,” he added.

Beyond rejecting the loan, ASUU demanded that the moratorium on the creation of new universities be extended to include private institutions—highlighting concerns that unchecked expansion is degrading academic quality across Nigerian universities.

Further amplifying tensions, ASUU has warned of potential industrial action if the government fails to agree to its demands ahead of a scheduled meeting on August 28, 2025. The union wants urgent attention to issues such as the 2009 renegotiated agreement, university funding, institutional autonomy, and the release of unpaid salaries.