Tragedy Strikes Nigerian Universities: Systemic Failures Leave Students in Peril
ASUU President Criticizes Disparity in Funding, Highlights Universities’ Struggle with N300m Monthly Electricity Bills
By AmforGod J. Olisa
The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, has raised concerns about the financial struggles faced by Nigerian universities due to skyrocketing electricity bills. Speaking on Thursday at the opening of a two-day national conference organized by ASUU in Abuja, Osodeke revealed that some universities are burdened with monthly electricity bills ranging from N200 million to N300 million, while receiving only N15 million from the federal government as running costs to cover both electricity and other operational expenses.
Osodeke highlighted the disparity in funding, contrasting the meager N15 million provided to universities with the N21 million allocated to individual Senators each month. “The government gives universities N15 million to manage everything, but electricity bills alone can be as high as N300 million. Meanwhile, a single Senator receives N21 million monthly,” he remarked, questioning the government’s priorities.
He emphasized that beyond electricity, universities need funds to maintain laboratories, purchase diesel, and fuel vehicles, and called for a reevaluation of funding policies to prioritize the needs of educational institutions.
