Nigeria: ASUU Fresh Strike Threat Has Exposed Fraud in Subsidy Removal - Atiku

What the report says

Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has renewed his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal policy, arguing that the latest warning of strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities has highlighted a gap between the government’s promises and conditions in public universities, according to Daily Trust via AllAfrica. The remarks were reported from Abuja and were issued through Atiku’s senior special assistant on public communication.

Atiku said the administration had justified ending the subsidy by promising to use the savings for education, healthcare, infrastructure and other services. He questioned why lecturers were still reporting unpaid entitlements, unresolved agreements and weak university funding if those resources had truly been freed up. He also pointed to broader pressures on households, including higher transport, food, energy and schooling costs.

The former vice president framed the ASUU dispute as part of a wider problem in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, saying public universities still face inadequate facilities, while state universities have also seen disruptions. He also criticized the federal student loan approach, arguing that families are being squeezed by inflation and higher education costs. In general terms, Nigeria has long faced recurring tensions over university funding and labour disputes, and ASUU strikes have frequently disrupted academic calendars.

Atiku pressed the government to explain how subsidy-related savings have been spent and said the public has yet to see the expected improvements in services. His comments come as debates continue over the economic impact of subsidy removal and the state of education financing in Nigeria.