ASUU rejects role as guarantor in Federal Government loan scheme

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the federal government’s plan to designate the union as a guarantor under the newly introduced Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund, a loan scheme announced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The decision was contained in a resolution signed by ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, after the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS), between August 16 and 17, 2025.

According to the resolution, ASUU’s rejection followed what it described as “extensive deliberations” during the NEC session.

“NEC deliberated extensively on the proposed Tertiary Institutions Support Fund. Consequently, NEC resolved to reject the ploy to conscript ASUU as guarantor of loans the union knows nothing about and demands that ASUU be delisted from the process,” the statement read.

The union also announced plans to embark on nationwide protest actions and press briefings across its branches, although no specific date has been fixed.

“NEC discussed the state of the struggle and government’s slow pace in addressing the issues in contention. Consequently, NEC resolved to organise protests across all branches simultaneously on a fixed date. As part of the protest activities, press conferences would be held in all branches. The date will be communicated in due course,” ASUU stated.

It will be recalled that in July, the Federal Ministry of Education unveiled the welfare-oriented loan scheme for both academic and non-academic staff of tertiary institutions, aimed at enhancing financial stability, career growth, and overall quality of life.