Scrap university courses plan sparks backlash as ASUU warns the federal government against removing programmes from universities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has warned the Federal Government against plans to scrap university courses considered irrelevant, describing the proposal as misguided and dangerous to the future of higher education in Nigeria.

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The warning was issued on Wednesday by the Bauchi Zone of ASUU during a press conference in Bauchi, where the union also raised concerns over unresolved welfare issues threatening industrial harmony in the university system.

Speaking during the briefing, the ASUU Bauchi Zonal Coordinator, Namo Timothy, described the government’s proposed move to scrap university courses as “bizarre.”

The Federal Government had on April 26, 2026, during the “Renewed Hope Conversation” with students of the University of Abuja, announced plans to phase out academic programmes considered disconnected from Nigeria’s economic future.

Minister of Education Tunji Alausa had argued that courses with limited real-world value contributed to unemployment and failed to align with labour market demands and global development trends.

Reacting to the policy direction, Namo Timothy insisted that every discipline within the university system serves critical societal and economic purposes.

“The minister claimed that mass production of graduates in social sciences and humanities is compounding the problem of unemployment and youth restiveness in the country,” he said.

Namo Timothy argued that subjects often dismissed as less market-oriented play a vital role in developing essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration.

“After all, the foundation for cultivation of core competences classified as 21st century or soft skills are laid by the so-called useless courses like philosophy, religious studies, linguistics and fine arts,” he added.

The union further rejected suggestions that unemployment in Nigeria was largely driven by graduates from humanities and social science disciplines.

“Who told the Honourable Minister that only graduates of Social Sciences and Humanities are unemployed in Nigeria? To attribute mass unemployment to studying ‘irrelevant courses’ is to over-simplify a complex economic management problem,” Namo Timothy stated.

ASUU warned that it would strongly resist any move to abolish academic programmes in Nigerian universities.

“ASUU rejects any attempt to scrap academic programmes in Nigerian universities and shall work with pro-people organisations to vehemently resist it,” the union said.

Beyond the controversy surrounding plans to scrap university courses, the union also accused both federal and state governments of failing to fully implement the December 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement.

According to ASUU, unresolved issues include withheld salaries, promotion arrears, salary shortfalls linked to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, unremitted third-party deductions and outstanding wage award arrears.

The union warned that growing frustration among lecturers could trigger fresh industrial unrest if urgent action was not taken to resolve the lingering disputes.

Also read: ASUU warns of fresh strike over Federal agreement delay

“We call on relevant stakeholders, well-meaning Nigerians and compatriots in the press to prevail on both the federal and state governments to fully implement the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement and resolve all outstanding issues in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians,” the union stressed.