Looming Strike: Nigerian Universities at Risk of Shutdown Over Soaring Electricity Bills, Says ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised concerns over the dire financial situation facing many Nigerian universities due to skyrocketing electricity bills. According to the union, some universities are now on the brink of collapse, struggling to cope with electricity costs that have reached between N200 million to N300 million per month.

Speaking at a national conference in Abuja, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed deep frustration at the financial strain that electricity bills have placed on higher institutions.

During his remarks, Osodeke pointed out that despite these enormous monthly bills, universities only receive N15 million from the federal government to cover their entire running costs, which includes not just electricity but also other essential expenses.

Prof. Osodeke stressed the imbalance between what universities receive for operational costs and what Nigerian lawmakers are paid. He compared the N15 million allocated to universities with the N21 million given to each Senator on a monthly basis, highlighting what he sees as a misplacement of priorities by the government.

He said, “What the government gives you to run the system is N15 million, and you get a bill for electricity alone of N300 million. Where is that money coming from? You have to run the laboratories. You have to run the diesel. You have to run the fuel for vehicles.

“But you know what? A government that will give just N15 million for UNILAG to run, will in turn, give one Senator N21 million a month. The government gives a system N15 million, but an individual gets N21 million. That’s where our priority is”.

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