The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Federal Government to adopt a more progressive tax system, recover stolen public funds and block revenue leakages as part of measures to address poverty and inequality in Nigeria.

The union also urged the government to reduce unnecessary borrowing, prioritise domestic agricultural and industrial production and tackle structural unemployment.

ASUU National President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, made the call while assessing the state of the nation, warning that Nigeria’s political class remains a major threat to national security.

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Piwuna said growing political bitterness, thuggery and a “winner-takes-all” mentality ahead of the 2027 general elections could worsen the country’s security challenges.

According to him, the increasing political tension has compounded existing security problems, which he said had extended to educational and religious institutions.

He also criticised the renewed debate over the establishment of state police, describing it as an issue being presented as a solution to Nigeria’s security challenges while the political class remained a major source of division.

The ASUU president expressed concern over alleged corruption in public procurement, questionable contract awards and the failure to prioritise critical infrastructure.

He particularly challenged recent claims by the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency that solar farms had been successfully connected to 15 Nigerian universities.

“Nothing could be further from the truth!” Piwuna said, claiming that feedback from ASUU branches in some of the affected universities indicated that the projects were either non-functional or had experienced repeated breakdowns.

He cited the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), alleging that the installations at the institutions were not functioning.

He added that the installation at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), had suffered repeated breakdowns, while the project at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB), was executed by the World Bank rather than local agencies.

Piwuna said the alleged disconnect between government claims and citizens’ experiences had contributed to growing mistrust between the governed and those in power.

“No nation can experience people-oriented development without an appreciable trust quotient,” he said.

He warned that governance would remain unsustainable if citizens continued to live in fear of those in authority.

On education, ASUU expressed concern over the declining real value of government allocations to the sector, saying the funding remained inadequate to meet the country’s growing population and educational needs.

The union said prolonged underfunding had affected research, classroom infrastructure and human capital development.

Piwuna also linked the rising cost of healthcare, energy and agricultural inputs to the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians, arguing that the situation had made basic necessities increasingly unaffordable for many citizens.

“The pathway forward is to put the people first,” he said.

With the 2027 elections approaching, ASUU called for a fundamental review of Nigeria’s economic policies, urging the government to move away from what it described as foreign-driven and limited poverty alleviation measures.

The union advocated inclusive programmes targeted at reducing structural unemployment and inequality.

It also called for the recovery of public resources lost through corruption, stronger accountability mechanisms and a progressive tax system that would require wealthier Nigerians to contribute proportionately to social development.

ASUU further urged the government to reduce dependence on imports by strengthening domestic agricultural and industrial production.

Piwuna called for a comprehensive reform of the Nigerian education system, with greater emphasis on local technological, cultural and skills-based needs.

He also urged the Federal and state governments to address outstanding welfare issues affecting university lecturers and implement the commitments contained in the December 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.

He said resolving the outstanding issues was necessary to enable public universities to contribute more effectively to national development.