Professor Chris Piwuna has been elected the new President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), succeeding Professor Victor Osodeke.
Piwuna, a consultant psychiatrist at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Jos, Plateau State, was elected during the 23rd National Delegates Congress held on Sunday in Benin City, Edo State.
He contested the top union position against Professor Adamu Babayo of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.
New Leadership, Ongoing Challenges
Professor Piwuna takes over at a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s public universities. His presidency begins amid fresh concerns of looming industrial action, triggered by unresolved issues between ASUU and the Federal Government.
Top on the list of grievances is the dispute over the sharing formula for the recently released Earned Academic Allowances. In addition, the academic sector continues to grapple with brain drain, underfunding, and other structural challenges undermining university education in Nigeria.
About the New ASUU President
Piwuna brings with him years of academic leadership and union activism. As Dean of Student Affairs and a seasoned psychiatrist, he is known for his student-centered leadership style and commitment to welfare issues within the academic community.
As the new ASUU leadership assumes office, all eyes are on Professor Piwuna to see how he navigates the pressing issues facing Nigeria’s tertiary education system and whether he can steer ASUU away from another strike while still holding the government accountable.
