Once again, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike has brought Nigeria’s public universities to a grinding halt. Classes are suspended, lecture halls stand empty, and students are forced back home — trapped in another round of uncertainty.
For decades, ASUU strikes have become an almost predictable part of Nigeria’s academic calendar. Yet beneath every industrial action lies a painful truth: it is not the government or the lecturers who suffer the most — it is the students whose dreams are repeatedly delayed, disrupted, and in some cases, destroyed.
The Silent Suffering of Students
Each time public universities shut down, millions of Nigerian students are left stranded in frustration. A four-year programme easily stretches into six or seven years, with each strike adding months of academic waste and psychological strain.
Students lose their rhythm, motivation, and focus. Many return home to uncertainty, unable to plan their future or engage in meaningful activities. Some turn to menial jobs or temporary hustles just to keep busy, while others completely lose interest in academics.
Beyond the emotional toll, the academic disruption has long-term consequences. By the time most students eventually graduate, they are already approaching their late 20s — an age that locks them out of several job opportunities, government schemes, and private sector recruitment exercises that impose strict age limits.
In essence, the clock does not stop during strikes — and it is the students’ future that pays the price.
Parents and Guardians: Paying More for Less
Behind every student affected by an ASUU strike is a parent or guardian carrying the hidden costs. Rent continues to run, food expenses don’t stop, and in some cases, tuition already paid goes to waste when semesters are interrupted midway.
Many parents who make enormous sacrifices to send their children to public universities do so because they cannot afford private institutions. Unfortunately, these same families end up spending more in the long run due to the recurring strikes. The emotional stress and financial pressure on households are immense, yet their voices remain largely unheard.
The Economic Ripple Effect of Academic Shutdowns
The impact of ASUU strikes goes beyond the universities — it ripples across the entire economy. When schools close, thousands of small businesses around campuses — food vendors, bookshops, hostel owners, transport operators, and cyber cafés — lose their customers.
These micro-economies that thrive around students’ daily activities suddenly collapse, leading to loss of income and rising hardship for many Nigerians who depend on the education sector for survival.
Furthermore, when academic calendars are disrupted, graduation timelines are pushed forward. This creates a backlog of job seekers waiting to enter the labour market at the same time, worsening youth unemployment and national productivity losses.
A Battle Between ASUU and Government — With Students in the Crossfire
At the centre of this crisis is the long-standing dispute between ASUU and the Federal Government. The union demands better funding for universities, improved salaries for lecturers, and fulfillment of previous agreements signed but rarely implemented. On the other hand, the government often cites budget constraints and competing national priorities.
This blame game has gone on for decades — a cycle of negotiation, strike, partial resolution, and another strike. While both parties continue their standoff, students remain caught in the middle — powerless, voiceless, and forgotten.
The tragedy is that every round of industrial action deepens the erosion of trust in Nigeria’s education system. Parents begin to lose faith in public universities, and those who can afford it send their children abroad or to private institutions, further widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
A Broken System in Desperate Need of Reform
The recurring strikes are not just a labour issue; they are a symptom of a broken educational system. For years, Nigeria’s tertiary institutions have suffered from poor infrastructure, outdated curricula, inadequate research funding, and decaying facilities.
University lecturers face poor working conditions, delayed salaries, and limited research support, while students study in overcrowded lecture halls without modern equipment or access to quality learning resources.
Until the government treats education as a national investment rather than a financial burden, the cycle will continue — and Nigeria will keep producing frustrated graduates who feel cheated by the very system meant to empower them.
What Must Change: A Call for Sustainable Solutions
To end this endless crisis, Nigeria must take bold steps toward genuine reform and lasting stability in its higher education sector. The following steps are critical:
- Sustainable and Transparent Funding:
There must be a clear, consistent, and accountable funding structure for universities. Allocations to education should meet global standards to ensure proper maintenance of facilities and fair remuneration for lecturers. - Regular Dialogue and Conflict Prevention Mechanisms:
Government and ASUU should establish a standing negotiation committee that meets regularly, even outside of crisis periods. This would promote trust and prevent issues from escalating into strikes. - Performance-Based and Institutional Autonomy Reforms:
Universities should have greater control over their internal finances and academic decisions, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks that often delay progress. - Diversified Revenue Streams:
Tertiary institutions should explore partnerships, research grants, and innovation-driven funding to supplement government allocations. - Prioritizing Students’ Welfare:
Any policy or negotiation affecting the education sector must put students first. They are not bargaining tools — they are the future of the nation.
The Human Cost: Dreams Deferred, Time Lost
Every ASUU strike represents more than a political disagreement — it is a collection of lost dreams and stolen time. It is the story of students whose youth slips away while waiting for classrooms to reopen. It is the story of parents who watch helplessly as their children’s futures are suspended by negotiations beyond their control.
No nation can progress when its young people are stuck in a cycle of academic instability. The price of these strikes is not measured in months of closure alone, but in the lost potential of an entire generation.
Conclusion: Education Should Never Be a Battleground
Education remains the foundation of every great nation. When a country allows its universities to become battlegrounds of strikes and counter-strikes, it weakens its most vital asset — its human capital.
Nigeria’s path to greatness lies not in endless negotiations or short-term agreements, but in visionary policies that place education at the heart of national development. The time to act is now.
Until both the government and ASUU put students first, every strike will continue to rob Nigeria of its most precious resource — the minds of its youth.
