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Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Industrial Actions and Human Capital Development in Nigeria: A Study of Selected Universities in South-South Geo-Political Zone

Ogbomah, Oyin-emi Frank, Olunta Ayebaesin

Abstract

This study examines the impact of industrial action on human capital development in Nigeria, focusing on the Academic Staff Union of Universities in selected universities from the South-South Geo-political zone. The universities included in this study are Niger Delta University in Amassoma, Bayelsa State; University of Port-Harcourt in Rivers State; University of Benin in Edo State, and University of Calabar in Cross Rivers State. ASUU's industrial actions have been recurring over the decades, dating back to the 1970s. These industrial actions are motivated by various factors, including inadequate funding of public universities in the country, improved remuneration for public university lecturers, and the implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System in federal universities in the country. The government's failure to address the issues with public university lecturers has resulted in frequent industrial actions, leading to the closure of public universities and disrupting academic activities. These disruptions of academic activities undoubtedly impact the quality of graduates produced by public universities and subsequently affect human capital development in Nigeria. This study employs a descriptive survey research design, utilizing questionnaires and oral interviews to collect primary data. Out of 6000 questionnaires distributed, 4,110 were retrieved, and the collected data was analyzed using the arithmetic mean. The findings show that ASUU's frequent strikes hinder research and development, as well as affect the quality of graduates from public universities. The study recommend adopting alternative approaches to address ASUU's grievances, which could reduce the frequency of these disruptive strikes and thereby improve human capital development. Furthermore, the study recommends diversifying the funding of public universities to bridge the infrastructural gap that currently hampers learning and research. Vol 10. No. 3 September 2024

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